Severe storms threaten Northeast through Friday with flooding, wind damage

A multiday stretch of severe thunderstorms is expected to continue across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through Friday, bringing threats of damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding, and isolated tornadoes. The dangerous weather pattern, which began on Sunday, has already left tens of thousands without power and caused flooding in major cities like New York. The severe weather is being driven by a heat dome anchored over the Central Mississippi Valley, which is steering the jet stream and a series of storm disturbances into the region. This setup has produced daily rounds of intense storms with little reprieve. On Tuesday, wind gusts reached 70 mph in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, toppling trees and power lines. By early Wednesday morning, more than 65,000 customers were without power across those three states. Forecasters identify Wednesday as the day with the greatest potential for damaging wind reports and power outages during this stretch. The strongest storms could produce large hail and a few tornadoes.