Millions of people across Oklahoma, southern Kansas at risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms

Millions of people in the central United States could experience powerful storms on Monday, including long-range tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and baseball-sized hail, forecasters said.

Much of Oklahoma and parts of Kansas are at the highest risk for severe weather — including parts of Oklahoma like Sulfur and Holdenville, which are still recovering from a tornado that killed four people and left thousands without power last week.

In total, nearly 10 million people live in areas threatened by severe weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Forecasters indicated a rare high risk for central Oklahoma and southern Kansas. The last time there was a high risk was on March 31, 2023, when a massive storm system swept through parts of the South and Midwest, including Arkansas, Illinois and rural Indiana.

Other cities that could experience stormy weather include Kansas City, Missouri and Lincoln, Nebraska.

The whole week looks stormy. Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati could experience severe thunderstorms later in the week, affecting more than 21 million people.

Meanwhile, heavy rains hit southwest Texas early Monday, especially in the Houston area, flooding neighborhoods and requiring hundreds of high-water rescues.

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.