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230 000 lost power across the US South, baseball-sized hail

230-000-lost-power-across-the-us-south-baseball-sized-hail

A line of severe thunderstorms hit the US South on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, leaving more than 200 000 customers without power and at least one person dead. Baseball-sized hail was reported in South Carolina during rush hour, damaging numerous cars.

Some 230 000 customers were left without power Tuesday night in Georgia and Tennessee after a cluster of severe thunderstorms rolled through the region. Close to 40 000 were still without power Wednesday morning. In Georgia, one person was killed after a large tree fell on his home.

In Hamilton County, Tennessee, a home caught fire after it was struck by lightning but there were no reports of injuries.

In South Carolina, wind gusts reached 130 km/h (81 mph). Baseball-sized hail was reported during rush hour when thousands of cars were on the roads leaving work. WSPA reports countless cars saw windshields busted and body damage in Taylor and Greer area.

"It sounded like bombs going off," Greer resident, Sam Manley said.

YouTube video

According to the National Weather Service, a storm system will move from the Rockies to the East Coast during the next several days bringing a severe thunderstorm threat to many parts of the nation.

On Thursday, large hail will be the main threat in the High Plains.

By Friday a more widespread threat will develop in the ArkLaTex region where damaging winds, very large hail and tornadoes will be possible.

Featured image: Hail covers the ground in Greenville, South Carolina on March 21, 2017. Credit: Tracy Maschke (via The Weather Channel)

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