A massive swath of the U.S., from the dusty plains of Texas to the rugged peaks of the Appalachians, braced for a rough ride on Friday, May 2, 2025, as forecasters warned of an "enhanced risk" for severe weather. This wasn’t just a chance of rain—meteorologists were sounding alarms about destructive winds, hail the size of golf balls, and the possibility of tornadoes tearing through communities. The National Weather Service had its eyes locked on the region, issuing a string of alerts that put millions on edge.
The danger zone stretched across more than a dozen states, with central and east Texas, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and parts of Tennessee and Kentucky under the heaviest threat. Storms were expected to fire up in the afternoon, fueled by a potent cold front barreling through. In Austin, warnings piled up as the day wore on, with forecasters noting that Friday’s storms would pack more punch than the squalls that rattled the area earlier in the week. A tornado had already been spotted near Briggs, Texas, on Thursday, a grim reminder of what was possible.
Hail was a big worry—some stones could reach two inches wide, especially in southern Texas, where the atmosphere was primed for chaos. Damaging winds, capable of snapping trees and knocking out power, were flagged as the top hazard across the South and into the interior Northeast. The Appalachians weren’t spared either, with isolated but fierce storms threatening spotty wind damage. Flooding was another headache, as heavy rains loomed from central Texas to the Mississippi Valley, potentially swamping roads and low-lying areas into Friday night.
In Dallas, the risk was high enough to keep emergency crews on standby, with memories of past storms that brought hail and twisters still fresh. Further east, places like middle Tennessee and central Kentucky were told to stay vigilant, as the storm system showed no signs of slowing. The Storm Prediction Center’s maps, shaded in ominous oranges, underscored the scope: nearly 87 million people lived in the crosshairs of this weather beast.
Friday’s forecast wasn’t a one-off. The week had already been a whirlwind, with severe weather battering parts of west Texas and Oklahoma just days earlier. But this latest round promised to be broader, messier, and meaner, with a long line of storms ready to march across the heartland. Communities were urged to keep multiple ways to get warnings—radios, phone alerts, anything to stay ahead of the danger.
By late Friday, the National Weather Service had issued over a dozen watches and warnings, from flash flood alerts to severe thunderstorm notices. The storms were expected to rage into early Saturday, May 3, before finally easing. Until then, it was a waiting game for millions, with the sky holding all the cards.