At least one person is dead after severe weather battered the Midwest, with millions more under warnings for more severe weather Tuesday.
On Monday evening in Michigan, a Kent County man was killed after a tree fell on him during a passing thunderstorm in the area, the Kent County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Responders found the 39-year-old man from Solon Township at the scene and said he had been hit by the fallen tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said.
According to the sheriff's office, the man was outside with friends when strong winds from the passing thunderstorm hit, causing several nearby trees to fall. The man reportedly told others to move out of the way just before the tree fell, which the people said likely prevented more of them from being hit.
The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate.
Monday saw severe thunderstorms and intense hail across the Midwest, with lightning strikes visible from space and potential tornadoes spotted on the ground.
Nearly 300 storm reports were lodged Monday, the majority being reports of strong wind, followed by numerous hail reports and three tornado reports.
At least one tornado east of St. Louis was reported overnight, leaving one neighborhood in shambles, with homes reduced to piles of rubble and downed trees littering the ground.
Power lines were snapped and pulled down in Missouri, wind gusts in Wisconsin exceeded 70 mph, and heavy rain and intense lightning knocked down trees in Tennessee.
Some of the nation's busiest airports — including Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — saw temporary ground stops Monday, causing headaches for travelers.
Nearly 250,000 customers are without power across the Midwest as of Tuesday morning, according to poweroutage.us.
Meanwhile, millions more people are under severe weather warnings Tuesday, stretching from northeastern Texas into Alabama and middle Tennessee, with a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms continuing throughout the day.
About 26 million people are under storm warnings for Tuesday, including more than 800,000 at moderate risk in Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois, according to the National Weather Service.
Another 12 million are under tornado warnings in Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Arkansas for Tuesday.
Wind and hail remain a threat for those in the region as well. Large hail and gusty winds are expected near the Oklahoma-Texas border.
The storm appears to be moving east, toward Washington, D.C., and Knoxville, Tennessee, with severe thunderstorm warnings up in Oklahoma and Texas.
