Breakfast Brief - Mississippi Valley storms kick off May

The same storm system that brought severe storms and flooding on Wednesday shifts east today, stretching along the Mississippi Valley and into the lower Great Lakes. Isolated flooding could cause problems in the same areas too as heavy downpours hit the region. The Breakfast Brief is published Monday through Friday at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The WeatherRadar shows a wide swath of storms and heavy rain today stretching from Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana to Michigan and the Ohio Valley today. Scattered severe storms are possible from San Antonio and Wichita Falls, Texas, to Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y.

Damaging gusts are the main problem along the entirety of the severe threat but tornadoes and hail will be possible too. We could see isolated tornadoes from Greenville, Miss., to Nashville and northeast to Louisville, Kent. Large hail will be possible In Waco, Austin and Wichita Falls, Texas, and in Fort Sill, Okla. Have at least three ways to receive weather warnings.

A few downpours could drop up to two inches today within the overall storm system as well. If you come to a flooded roadway, turn around, don't drown.

Spring rain showers will be found in the Upper Midwest as well as in the High Plains and the Dakotas and down into the central Rockies and Great Basin. Pockets of thunderstorms are also showing up on the WeatherRadar here as the afternoon heating kicks in. Be sure to track the storms throughout the day to know where lightning is striking.

When severe weather is in your forecast, you can be prepared. Follow along with these tools to stay weather-aware.