Severe storms threaten 75 million in the US after tornadoes killed 7 in Iowa

 

 More than 75 million people from Atlanta to Philadelphia faced the threat of severe storms Monday, days after a deadly tornado outbreak, including an EF-4 twister, killed seven people in Iowa.
Other cities that could see severe weather include Washington, DC and Baltimore, said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink, adding the main threats include isolated tornadoes and damaging winds.
Heavy rain will accompany Monday's storms, especially across the Ohio River Valley, with the potential for rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour, she said. Flood watches have been issued for parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, and soil in the area is already saturated from heavy rain over the last two weeks.

Any additional rain will make ongoing river flooding worse, Brink said.
As these large sections of the country brace for the potential of more severe weather, recovery efforts remain ongoing in Iowa, where several tornadoes touched down near Des Moines on Saturday, killing seven people, including two children, and impacting dozens of homes.
Residents may have had less time to prepare and take shelter due to the delayed dissemination of tornado warnings issued by the local National Weather Service, including in Madison County, where Emergency Management Director Diogenes Ayala said six residents were killed.
The oldest victim was 72 years old and the youngest was aged 2, Ayala said at a news conference in Winterset on Sunday afternoon. He had earlier said there were two victims under 5.