Powerful storm tracks east

Powerful storms moved through Texas on Tuesday morning, with the severe threat expected to move east Tuesday into Wednesday. Lightning put on a show early on Tuesday morning in Abilene, Texas.

The WeatherRadar shows a powerful storm working its way across the country Tuesday into Wednesday. Strong storms started early in Texas this morning. A possible tornado moved through Lewisville, Texas, leaving damage behind.

The WindRadar picked up gusts upwards of 50 mph this morning across the Dallas metro, including a 74 mph gust at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Power outages amounted to more than 400,000 customers on Tuesday morning.

Low pressure will drive a strong cold front east across the Lower Mississippi Valley, Mid-South and Gulf Coast region Tuesday into Wednesday. An enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) of severe weather extends from the Arklatex down to the central Gulf Coast where very strong damaging winds, tornadoes and some large hail are possible.

Severe storms may impact Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans today. Other cities at risk today include Little Rock, Ark., Shreveport, La., Memphis, Birmingham and Mobile, Ala.

The most significant risk of strong tornadoes extends across northern and central Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southwest Alabama. A flash flood threat will also overlap many of the areas at risk of strong storms. Tomorrow, the threat of severe storms extends from the Mid-Atlantic to north Florida.