Storms Batter Midwest as East Coast Warms Up

While the East coast is enjoying a taste of summer, the Midwest is being battered by devastating storms.

A storm system stretching from Texas to the Great Lakes is wreaking havoc, bringing flooding, freezing rain, and snow, in addition to causing accidents and school closures.

On Tuesday, The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, while flood warnings were in effect in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan with flood watches in Texas and Arkansas, CBS News reports.

In Texas, weather service officials say three tornadoes hit, with one striking early Tuesday in a rural area near Joshua, according to ABC News. The twisters have destroyed and damaged several mobile homes, while a mother and her disabled daughter were injured when one tornado struck their home.

Meanwhile, in Indiana, residents have been dealing with devastating flooding, with the swollen St. Joseph River not expected to crest until Thursday leading to many using sandbags in an attempt to protect their homes.

Some residents have resorted to kayaking to get around Goshen.

“This city has not seen flooding like this in the last 45 years,” Elkhart, Indiana Mayor Tim Neese said. “We also had record snowfall in addition to consistent rain.”

Some residents in Goshen are taking advantage of the weather conditions and flooding, by taking to the streets to fish.

The city of Goshen is currently under a state of emergency.

Residents in Michigan are also experiencing flooding, with officials reporting that a 1-year-old girl was found dead on Wednesday in standing water in her backyard in Fairplain Township. A washout from heavy rains is also being blamed for the derailment two freight train engines near Grand Rapids. Two railway workers suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the incident.

In Minnesota, where more than half-foot of snow is expected in some areas, 400 crashes and 250 spinouts, including two fatal crashes, are being blamed on winter weather. Freezing rain and ice in parts of Kansas also led to several delays and cancellations of flights at Kansas International Airport.