Severe Storms Threaten Midwest and Ohio Valley

Millions of residents across the Midwest and Ohio Valley face severe weather threats as a powerful storm system barrels through the region, prompting tornado watches and warnings for parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York starting Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service and its Storm Prediction Center have elevated risks to Level 3 out of 5 for severe thunderstorms in a corridor spanning central Illinois, central Indiana and central Ohio, including major cities such as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. A broader Level 2 risk extends to areas like Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, placing about 50 million people in the potential path of damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes. Forecasters warn that wind gusts could reach 70 to 90 miles per hour, with hail exceeding two inches in diameter possible in the strongest storms.

Tornado watches took effect Thursday evening until 11 p.m. local time across dozens of counties in Ohio, including Allen, Ashland and Cuyahoga; parts of far western New York such as Ripley; Brooke, Hancock and Ohio counties in West Virginia; and Allegheny, Armstrong and other counties in...