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More violent thunderstorms to threaten the country this week

An outbreak of severe weather will continue to pummel portions of the United States this week.

Following deadly and destructive tornadoes in Tennessee early Tuesday morning, an outbreak of severe weather will continue to pummel portions of the United States this week.

The same storm system that produced severe thunderstorms and a small number of tornadoes over the Tennessee Valley, including Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday morning will continue to move eastward into Tuesday night.

This radar image from 9 a.m. EST Tuesday, March 3, 2020, shows rain in green and yellow and thunderstorms in orange and red. (AccuWeather)

Heavy and gusty thunderstorms are likely in central Texas, central Louisiana, southern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, southern and eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southeastern New York and western Connecticut at some point on Tuesday and Tuesday night.

"Storms in portions of Alabama and Georgia have the greatest potential to produce isolated tornadoes into Tuesday evening," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Bowers said.

Adding to the danger with the tornadoes in the South into Tuesday evening is the potential for some of the storms to be "rain-wrapped" or concealed by heavy rain.

"Storms with damaging wind gusts, hail and flash flooding can extend from central Louisiana to central North Carolina," Bowers added.

People are encouraged to closely monitor the weather situation and seek shelter immediately when severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings are issued.

Flash flood warnings are currently in effect across parts of the South as of midday Tuesday.

Farther north, the storms from the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region to southwestern New England will ramp up Tuesday afternoon and continue into Tuesday evening.

"Storms in this area are generally not expected to become severe," AccuWeather Lead Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker said. "However, the storms could organize into a squall line that produces gusty winds and torrential rain, advancing across the upper mid-Atlantic and southwestern New England areas late Tuesday to Tuesday evening."

The storms in the busy and heavily populated northeastern corridor could be very disruptive for travel as they are likely to hit during the late-day and evening commute.

Farther southwest, thunderstorms are forecast to erupt over central Texas late Tuesday and may peak Tuesday night.

"The Texas' storms will carry the full-spectrum threat of severe weather ranging from damaging wind gusts and large hail to flash flooding and isolated tornadoes," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.

"Since the storms in Texas are likely to remain strong well after dark, it will add to the danger in the region," he added.

The threat for severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, will continue on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

The storms on Wednesday are forecast to stretch along the Interstate-10 corridor from northeastern Texas to northern Florida and can extend as far to the north as the swath from central Louisiana to southwestern Georgia.

On Thursday, the severe weather threat will shift farther to the east over the Deep South. Storms from northeastern Florida to southern Georgia will carry a primary threat from damaging wind gusts. Still, a couple of tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

The repeating nature of the thunderstorms in the South, especially from the I-20 corridor on south through Thursday, will continue to keep the threat of small stream and river flooding elevated this week, even after rain departs later.

The severe weather this week may be just a preview of what is likely to be a very busy spring season.

A general 2-4 inches of rain with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 8 inches is forecast from Tuesday night to Thursday alone, on top of rain that fell into Tuesday morning.

Some of the rivers that have been in recession in recent days are likely to rise once again. However, at this time, most rivers are forecast to stop short of major flood stage. This is due to the recent separation between storms, which has allowed water to drain off from most watersheds.

However, this does not mean that the region is off the hook for renewed major river flooding in the weeks ahead as more drenching storms are likely to visit the region.

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