Level 4 of 5 Storm Threat in Place for Swath of the Midwest

Storms are erupting across the Midwest, impacting millions of Americans with a slew of severe impacts. Here is what you can expect as the day progresses, as well as where the storms are headed next.

Storms Igniting Across the Midwest, Threatening Severe Impacts

Forecasters have been warning for days about the likelihood of a major severe weather outbreak in the nation's heartland on Wednesday. The forecast is coming to fruition as several alerts have already been issued. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Level 4 out of 5 severe storm threat for north-central Illinois and the western edge of Indiana.

The midweek storm event is happening just days after a severe weather outbreak across the same general region. Likely impacts of Wednesday's storm event include damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding, and tornadoes.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Iowa and northwest Illinois on Wednesday morning. The greatest concentration of storms is expected in a zone just south of Chicago across northern Illinois and into northwestern Indiana. Violent tornadoes and flash flooding are the biggest concern for this area.