Easter week storms threaten millions across the Northeast with high winds, thunder and possible hail

Parts of the Ohio Valley are bracing for rain and the potential for severe weather to kick off Easter week, as a fast-moving cold front pushes through the region on Monday.Cities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are under a heightened risk for severe weather from Monday into early Tuesday.NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) says more than 28 million people across the region will be at risk of severe thunderstorms on Monday.However, the SPC placed more than 9 million people from Kentucky to Pennsylvania in a Level 2 risk on its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale.Cities in the risk zone include Columbus and Cincinnati in Ohio, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Charleston in West Virginia and Lexington in Kentucky.Forecasters say the primary threats will be damaging winds and large hail, but some tornadoes are also possible.In addition to those extreme weather threats, any thunderstorm that develops can produce frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and periods of torrential rainfall. While the front is expected to move through quickly, limiting total rainfall accumulations, localized totals of 1-2 inches are still possible.The increased rain threat comes at a time when many rivers in the region are already running high, with some still dealing with lingering impacts from recent flooding, including along the Ohio and Kentucky rivers.In Cincinnati, the Ohio River rose above 60 feet – its highest level since at least 2018 – prompting temporary closures of riverfront parks and roadways and the activation of floodgates to protect low-lying areas.Farther west, in Princeton, Indiana, cleanup efforts are still underway following an EF-1 tornado that touched down on Thursday. The storm damaged dozens of homes, and now the region faces additional showers and storms that could complicate recovery efforts.“There’s going to be enough heat and instability in the atmosphere, triggered by that cold front...