Northeast U.S. Braces for Severe Storms and Tornado Watch Affecting 32 Million

A massive severe thunderstorm complex is sweeping from the Ohio Valley through the Mid‑Atlantic to the Northeast United States. The Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut under a tornado watch that covers roughly 32 million people, with damaging wind gusts above 60 mph, hail and possible tornadoes. Flash‑flood warnings are also in effect, and major travel corridors along I‑95 are expected to face disruptions.

In West Virginia, historic flooding prompted Governor Patrick Morrisey to declare a statewide emergency for all 55 counties. The Sand Run stream near Buckhannon crested at 10.6 feet, surpassing the 1985 flood record, and the National Weather Service issued a flash‑flood emergency. About 300 National Guard members were deployed for swift‑water rescues and shelter operations.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bertha is feeding additional moisture into the region, enhancing rain threats from the Gulf Coast up through the Carolinas and southeast Virginia. A heat wave is also forecast, with more than 100 million people under heat watches or warnings across the central United States.