Severe Weather Alerts and Forecast Updates for September 28, 2024

A significant weather system is impacting various regions across the United States, bringing severe weather conditions and significant disruptions. In the Southeast, Hurricane Helene has transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone but continues to wreak havoc with life-threatening flooding and strong winds.

Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph, has claimed 49 lives across several states, including South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. The storm has caused catastrophic flooding, particularly in North Carolina, where Governor Roy Cooper described it as 'one of the worst in modern history.' Over 100 individuals have been rescued from floodwaters, and a citywide curfew was imposed in Asheville until Saturday morning.

Flooding and Power Outages

The remnants of Helene are expected to continue bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds across the East. Multiple states have experienced over a foot of rainfall, prompting flash flood emergencies that affect approximately 1.1 million residents. Power outages have left over 3.4 million customers without electricity across South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio.

Travel and delivery services have been significantly disrupted. Amtrak reported multiple train cancellations, and delivery services such as UPS and FedEx have suspended or limited operations in several states due to the storm. Floodwaters have rendered countless roads impassable, with 290 roads closed in North Carolina alone.

Severe Thunderstorms in Other Regions

In addition to the Southeast, other parts of the country are experiencing severe weather. The Midwest, Central Plains, and Northern High Plains are under a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms. Isolated strong to severe storms are possible in areas such as southwest Lower Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and parts of the south-central Plains. These storms could bring locally strong wind gusts and isolated hail.

In the Central Plains, low-level moisture and steep mid-level lapse rates are expected to contribute to the development of high-based thunderstorms. Vertical shear is anticipated to be modest but sufficient for persistent storm structures, with the potential for strong gusts and isolated hail in south-central Kansas.

Western Weather Forecast

In contrast, the western United States is experiencing more favorable weather conditions. For Saturday, September 28, the forecast in areas like Sweetwater includes sunny skies with a high near 84 degrees and calm winds becoming west-southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Nighttime will be clear with a low around 48 degrees and south-southeast winds of 3 to 5 mph.

The sunny and breezy conditions are expected to continue through the week, with highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-40s to low 50s. This pattern suggests a stable and pleasant weather trend for the region.