38 million faced tornado, flood threat as severe storms swept Northeast cities
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore were under a Level 2 out of 5 severe weather threat Thursday.
Severe thunderstorm warnings plague major cities in the Northeast
Over 27 million Americans are under a Severe Thunderstorm warning across the Northeast, including major cities such as Philadelphia and New York City, where the biggest threat is intense wind gusts.
THE TAKEAWAY
- 38+ million Americans in the Northeast were under a Level 2 storm threat.
- New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore faced a Level 1 tornado threat.
- Damaging winds were the primary concern, along with flash flooding.
After firing up storms across the Great Lakes on Wednesday, a sweeping cold front moved east on Thursday, bringing active and severe weather threats to major cities across the Northeast.
Scattered thunderstorms started in the afternoon and carried into the evening as instability built ahead of and along the front. Supercell thunderstorms were possible, along with a risk of damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes.
Some of these storms were forecast to produce wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger.
TORNADO SAFETY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING SHELTER DURING SEVERE WEATHER
(FOX Weather)
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore are some of the major cities that were under a Level 2 out of 5 severe weather threat Thursday.
Specifically, New York City was also included, alongside Philadelphia and Baltimore, in a Level 1 out of 5 tornado threat.
(FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, "This is the seventh time this year that the metro has been put under a risk for tornadoes by the Storm Prediction Center. Last year it was only once."
WHAT IS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM?
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA- NOVEMBER 19: The Philadelphia skyline is shrouded in fog and rain in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
(Matthew Hatcher / Getty Images)
In total, more than 38 million Americans in the Northeast were under a Level 2 out of 5 severe threat on Thursday.
SOUTH FACES DAYS OF DANGEROUS WEATHER AS FLASH FLOOD, SEVERE STORM THREAT STRETCHES INTO WEEKEND
(FOX Weather)
Additionally, leftover clouds from these storms were expected to obscure the view of the partial lunar eclipse.
On top of the severe storm threats, flash flooding was also a possibility, especially in areas already hit hard by flooding earlier this summer.
A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk was in effect in Philadelphia up into southern New York state for Thursday afternoon, along with a Severe Thunderstorm watch for the Big Apple and the City of Brotherly Love through the evening.
There were also 27 million people under Thunderstorm Warnings, as the severe weather slowly ramped up Thursday night.
(FOX Weather)
Philadelphia alone has already seen four flash flood warnings in 2026, with three occurring in August. Currently, the city is running over an inch and a half above average for rain month to date.
Localized rain totals over 1 to 2 inches are possible through early Friday morning.
Because of the flooding threat, Flood Watches were issued for over 25 million Americans from Philadelphia to New York City.