Wind alerts for 69 million as deadly March storm that spawned tornadoes moves off U.S.

Some 69 million people are under wind alerts from New England to the Carolinas through Friday as a powerful storm system brings more high winds across the Northeast and the Great Plains as it moves off the United States.

At least six people were killed and thousands were left without power in a powerful storm Wednesday that saw thunderstorms rumble in the East, tornadoes touch down in the South, blizzards in the Great Plains and fire conditions in Texas.

Wind advisories are in place for Boston and New York from Thursday evening to Friday evening, with gusts around 50 mph possible. In Washington, D.C., a wind advisory is in place from 8 a.m. to midnight with gusts of 55 mph predicted. 

On Thursday, a Pacific storm system will move over California, bringing snow to higher elevations and rain to lower elevations, according to the National Weather Service.

In the East, colder and drier air will arrive that could lead to additional rainfall. That will be followed by colder temperatures and snow showers, and several inches of lake-enhanced snowfall downwind of the Great Lakes and into the central and northern Appalachians on Thursday and Friday.

In the South, winds along with low humidity and dry fuels will result in increased fire risk for western Texas and most of New Mexico through Friday. A second area at risk for possible fires is on the Florida Peninsula.  

Yesterday’s storm tracked eastward, dumping pea-sized hail in Pennsylvania, intense rain in New York City where water poured into subway stations, and powerful winds in the Carolinas that downed power lines and scattered debris. 

Overnight, more than 2 inches of rain fell in the tristate area. On Thursday morning, more than 12,500 customers were without power across the Northeastern U.S., according to PowerOutage.Us.

The storms also pummeled the Carolinas where strong winds ripped tiles off roofs, toppled trees and downed power lines. An EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds touched down in Union County, North Carolina, on Wednesday morning, damaging several structures, county officials said. 

Russel Anderson recalled the moment a tree fell on his home in Wilson. 

“I was actually taking a nap on my downstairs couch,” he told NBC affiliate WRAL of Raleigh. “I was awake and then a couple seconds later, a thunderous boom. I looked up at the stairs of my second-floor apartment and I could see the sky. My entire roof was gone.”

In the Midwest, storms led to heavy snow and dangerous whiteout conditions in Kansas and Nebraska. Nebraska State Patrol said troopers responded to more than 400 weather-related incidents since Tuesday morning, including a head-on crash between a car and a tractor-trailer that killed three people.

Meanwhile, the South is recovering from torrential thunderstorms.

In Mississippi, at least three people died, according to Gov. Tate Reeves. The National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, reported three tornadoes Wednesday: an EF-2 near Whistler, in Wayne County, Mississippi, with peak winds of 127 mph that resulted in four injuries; an EF-1 in George County, Mississippi; and an EF-1 in Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Since Monday, there have been at least 22 tornadoes in six Southern states. At least seven confirmed tornadoes touched down Tuesday in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, The Associated Press reported.

In Texas, there’s an elevated threat for grass fires through Friday.  Brush fires sparked in dry vegetation have been burning in parts of southcentral Texas and the southern plains of the state since Tuesday. 

The Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 19 new requests for assistance on wildfires burning nearly 3,000 acres across the state Wednesday. 

More than 12,000 customers were without power as of Thursday morning in the Lone Star State.

Widespread rain also drenched Southern California on Wednesday. More patchy showers will fall Thursday, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to warn that the downpour could increase the chance of debris flow in the areas of the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles that were scorched in January.