Storm that dropped ping-pong ball sized hail to Texas and Arizona moves east bringing dangerous winds and up 10inches of rain to 70million Americans

A massive storm that brought two inches of hail the size of a ping-pong ball and intense rainfall to Texas and Arizona will move east.

The severe weather threat is expected to shift to the southern U.S. starting Sunday, bringing dangerous winds and up to a foot of rain to 70 million residents.

The storm hit the Lone Star State Saturday afternoon with large chunks of hail and heavy precipitation.

High floodwaters also hit Arizona and caused the Tonto Creek, about 20 miles from the town of Payson, to overflow, stranding motorists on nearby roads.

One to three inches of rain is expected to fall in northeastern Texas, Kentucky, Virginia and the Carolinas through Monday. AccuWeather reported.

Five to four inches of rain could fall on the Texas-Louisiana border and in the Smoky Mountains. Thunderstorms are also expected in the south.

In addition to rain, hail and strong winds are also expected to the south.

Drivers should anticipate delays on the roads and air travel will also be affected by the storm, with possible delays and cancellations.

AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva said, “Flight delays are likely to increase at airports such as Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International, the world’s busiest airport, as heavy rain and thunderstorms develop Monday.”

Significant storms are forecast in Houston, New Orleans, Jackson and Birmingham starting Sunday during the day and continuing into the night.

Thunderstorms are expected to move through Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas early Sunday. There could also be a chance for a second storm surge through the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Valley region later in the day.

Large hail pellets are seen on the ground in East Texas on Sunday morning. Freeport residents said this was their first hail storm since 2017

Cooler weather in the south could allow rain to turn to snow early in the week as the storm makes landfall.

Residents of Freeport, Texas, about an hour’s drive from Houston, experienced their first hail storm since 2017 on Friday, when quarter-sized hail damaged some homes in the area.

“It started raining and the hail was hitting the roof of the car, like ‘BANG, BANG,’ it was like the glass or windshield was going to break,” said Marjorie Wilson, a gas station employee in Freeport. WREX.

Although she experienced no damage to her car, other residents were not so lucky as the roofs of their homes were damaged and could take weeks to repair.

A resident of Whitehouse, Texas held a large piece of buckshot in his hand and compared it to a quarter on Sunday.

Rainfall in the typically dry state of Arizona shocked residents as severe flooding took over large parts of the country.

Randy Roberson, a Tonto Basin resident, shared 3TV that flooding has been a ‘recurring problem’ for decades.

A white pickup truck was spotted stuck in water near Tonto Creek in Arizona on Friday. The excess water left many motorists stranded on nearby roads

The storm from Texas and Arizona is expected to shift toward the southern U.S. on Sunday. Heavy rain, hail, high winds and possible tornadoes are forecast

A Whitehouse, Texas resident is seen holding a large piece of buckshot and comparing it to a quarter on Sunday

“Some people have lost their lives, and it’s because people on the east side of the creek have to cross and take risks and sometimes make bad decisions,” Roberson said.

Hail also affected the state, as large chunks of sky were seen around cacti.

Damaging winds and tornadoes could also hit in the South, with the biggest threats occurring late Monday evening and early morning.

On Monday, parts of North Florida, the Panhandle and Georgia can also expect high winds and tornado threats.

Hail, although often confused with ice pellets, is a form of solid precipitation that is re-frozen in the atmosphere before falling to the ground.

Thunderstorms go hand in hand with hail because the pieces freeze during an updraft.