Rounds of storms and heavy rainthat killed a person in heavy Texas flooding earlier this week are shifting their focus to states in the Mid-Atlantic and South on May 30. The person who died was swept away in floodwaters on May 28 after a "brief but very powerful storm" that caused downed trees, damage from hail and winds, power outages and flash flooding, Austin City Manager TC Broadnax said at a news conference the next day. The storm dumped 2-3 inches of rain within half an hour, officials said. Forecasters said states including Georgia, the Carolinas and parts of the Mid-Atlantic were in the path of "a rather strong system for late May" that will reach New England by the weekend. The storm will bring heavy rain across the Ohio Valley during the day and the northern Mid-Atlantic by night on May 30. The thunderstorms and rain are increasing chances of dangerous flash flooding in the region, according to the National Weather Service. Impacts from the storms could include wind damage, large hail and a few tornadoes, the Storm Prediction Center said. More than 21 million people were under flood watches in the region the morning of May 30, in states including Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. The storms that hit in central Texas on May 28 rolled through Austin quickly. Between 6 and 7 p.m., the storm peaked and winds reached up to 77 mph, officials said. During that time, calls for help to 911 also surged. "This was a fast-moving, destructive storm with whole trees ripped down, extensive damage to homes, property and electrical equipment," Austin Energy Interim General Manager Stuart Riley said. Austin's emergency responders responded to nine water rescue calls, said Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz. One of the calls was for an adult patient who had reportedly been submerged in floodwaters for over 20 minutes and was pronounced dead on the scene, Luckritz said. The storm caused a river gauge to raise from 3 to 13 feet in 30 minutes,AccuWeatherreported. It also blew out windows at the state Capitol building, the outlet reported. "Within about 20 minutes, some areas of Austin saw a blanket of hail carpet the ground, flood waters quickly pour into low water crossings, whole trees ripped from the ground and expansive damage to homes, property and electric equipment," Austin Energy said in a post to social media. Within about 20 minutes, some areas of Austin saw a blanket of hail carpet the ground, flood waters quickly pour into low water crossings, whole trees ripped from the ground and expansive damage to homes, property and electric equipment.pic.twitter.com/D50BQQMGa3 — Austin Energy (@austinenergy)May 29, 2025 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deadly storms that flooded Texas shift focus to South, Mid-Atlantic
