Tennis ball-sized hail in Texas, severe weather injures 9 in Oklahoma, US

Severe thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes are affecting the central United States since Wednesday, March 30, 2016. The worst weather today is expected in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky as a large front, extending from the Great Lakes to the Southern Plains, slowly moves to the East Coast.

There were 6 tornado and 77 large hail reports on March 30. Four tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, one in Kansas and one in Arkansas.

Hail the size of golf balls was reported near Wichita, Kansas while tennis ball-sized hail pounded Breckenridge, Texas.

At least 9 people have been injured in Oklahoma as a result of the severe storms.

"Weather-related calls resulted in 9 patients transported so far tonight. Most calls were for serious injuries & one critical patient," EMSA said on their Twitter account. 

A family of four escaped serious injury after a tree fell on their truck during a tornado in North Tulsa, police said.

Check out this video of a cone tornado at the Tulsa International Airport, was taken at ~7:30 pm. Vid: @BAK_yn pic.twitter.com/IaJNe6qqrM

— Wx Expert (@Expert_Wx) March 31, 2016

Schools in Tulsa will be closed on Thursday due to power outages and storm damage.

Supercell that passed just north of Tulsa this evening… photo by Ashleigh Webb #okwx pic.twitter.com/2kt2cdMelP

— James Spann (@spann) March 31, 2016

IMAGES: Here's where we're headed this AM. This is the tornado that hit a neighborhood in Owasso. No injures @NEWS9 pic.twitter.com/HGN81g1B62

— Justin Dougherty (@DoughertyNews9) March 31, 2016

Tornado In North Tulsa Causes Tree To Fall On Truck Carrying Family Of Four https://t.co/pCkgK3pTfM #News9 pic.twitter.com/SohCVgiEyt

— News 9 (@NEWS9) March 31, 2016

Funnel Touches Down In North Tulsa, Damages Church, Power Lines https://t.co/rR7OEsFoDe pic.twitter.com/fFK88a66sA

— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) March 31, 2016

A nursing home and numerous houses were damaged after a tornado struck Dermott, Arkansas. At least one person was injured.

NWS Little Rock said a record rainfall occurred in North Little Rock, Arkansas. "100.6 mm (3.96 inches) of rain at North Little Rock so far today. It's the wettest March day on record (since 1975) beating the old record 88.4 mm (3.48 inches) 3/7/1990." 

By the end of the day, 125.5 mm (4.94 inches) of rain fell in North Little Rock breaking the all-time March 30 record set in 2002 with 43.4 mm (1.71 inches).

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock was forced to close its campus due to flooding.

In Greene County, Missouri a house fire was started by a lightning strike 6.4 km (4 miles) east of Springfield.

NWS Radar Mosaic – 07:58 UTC on March 31, 2016.

 

According to SPC, severe thunderstorms are possible across a large area extending from the central Gulf Coast states northward across the Ohio Valley to southern Michigan on March 31. 

The greatest threat of tornadoes and very large hail will be centered over northern Mississippi and Alabama into Tennessee and southern Kentucky. 

More isolated severe storms are possible during the evening into the western Carolinas and Friday morning, April 1, along the central Gulf Coast.

Featured image: Featured image: Tornado that hit Owasso, Oklahoma on March 30, 2016. Credit: KWTV-News 9 (CBS)