Chaos in the U.S.; Authorities issue emergency warnings; Over 12,500 flights delayed or canceled PHOTO

Severe thunderstorms are raging across the eastern U.S., causing power outages. Authorities have issued tornado warnings, while meteorologists warn of worsening conditions. More than 94 million people in the eastern half of the country were under severe weather alerts from the National Storm Prediction Center.

On Monday, the meteorological service warned that the storm system, which brought massive snowfall to the Midwest, is moving toward the East Coast with dangerously strong winds and the potential to “produce strong and long-lived tornadoes.”

Severe thunderstorms are expected from Florida to New York, with the highest risk of hurricane-strength winds and tornadoes concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, Maryland, and Virginia.

The meteorological service stated that the stretch from parts of South Carolina to Maryland is most likely to experience the most destructive winds on Monday afternoon.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein urged residents to enable emergency alerts on their phones ahead of expected winds exceeding 70 mph (112 km/h).

“During the storm, stay indoors,” said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser at a press conference, warning residents to seek shelter if a tornado warning is issued. She added that it could take “several days or longer to return to normal” if the storms cause significant damage.

Delayed and canceled flights

A statement said that, due to the risk of strong winds and thunderstorms, flight delays were ordered at three New York-area airports – LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy in New York, and Newark in New Jersey – as well as Reagan National Airport in Washington, airports in Charlotte and Atlanta, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Reuters reported.

Flight-tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 8,500 U.S. flights were delayed and 4,000 canceled as of 9:00 PM Central European Time.

Andrew Harnik / Getty images / Profimedia

The U.S. government has ordered federal employees in the Washington area to leave their offices by 7:00 PM Central European Time due to the storm.

Schools closed, households without power

Many schools closed early in the Mid-Atlantic states, where strong winds and tornadoes were forecast.

More than 266,000 homes and businesses were left without power after the severe storms hit the U.S. Midwest and Mid-Atlantic region, according to data from the website PowerOutage.us.

In Washington, the House of Representatives postponed a vote due to travel difficulties caused by the severe weather.

“Besides the threat to life and property, whether from storm-line winds, blizzards, snow, or just storm-driven wind, several major airports have been affected,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys.

Blizzards have buried parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, while heavy rains have flooded homes and washed out roads in Hawaii.