A cross-country storm system ramped up Saturday and brought showers from Houston to Cleveland, while Texas through Kentucky faced severe weather.
Tennessee bore the brunt of the eastbound storm, and officials said six people died as a series of tornadoes touched down across the state and pulled up roofs and flipped vehicles.
The entire East Coast from Maine to Florida is expected to see heavy rain and wind on Sunday that could cause power outages and coastal flooding. Downed tree limbs and power lines are also possible, said PSE&G, the largest gas and electric service provider in New Jersey.
“As we closely monitor this latest weather event, our crews are prepared and ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible if outages occur,” the company said. “We are committed to bringing customers safe and reliable service regardless of extreme weather conditions. PSE&G has additional personnel ready to respond to power outages, and we encourage customers to take the time now to prepare.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy encouraged residents to monitor their local weather.
“We are anticipating strong winds & heavy rainfall in the northern parts of the state, starting Sunday afternoon and continuing into Monday,” he said in a post Saturday on X. “Please monitor weather forecasts and stay dry, New Jersey!”
The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory for Sunday and Monday.
“While New Yorkers are no stranger to inclement weather, we want to remind residents to keep an eye on the forecast and remain prepared,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Saturday. “We are preparing for heavy rains and strong winds Sunday night into Monday morning, which means everyone should take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their belongings in the event of potential flooding conditions in low lying areas.”
Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee were the focus of tornado watches and warnings Saturday night, but the statements began to expire as a front made unstable by humid air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from the north moved east overnight.
The Tennessee deaths were reported in a neighborhood in the northern part of Nashville and in Clarksville, a town in Montgomery County, according to officials. At least 23 people in the county were hospitalized, they said.
Tornado damage, downed trees and fallen lines were also reported in other parts of the state, including in Gibson County, where Fire Station 9 in Rutherford was mostly destroyed, Sheriff Paul Thomas said, and will need to be rebuilt.
Kentucky dodged the tragedy and damage caused by the front, though weather-watchers were tracking it as it moved out of Tennessee.