A powerful series of severe thunderstorms packing strong winds, hail, and tornadoes is forecast to sweep across the central and eastern United States into the weekend, possibly reaching the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather experts. Following Thursday’s storms near the Great Lakes and Friday’s destructive outbreak in the Ohio Valley, dangerous weather conditions continue to threaten lives and property.

Friday’s storms claimed 28 lives and caused at least $9 billion in damage, with a rare tornado emergency declared in Illinois. Overall, nearly 200 million people from Thursday through Saturday evening will face the risk of severe weather, with about 50 million still exposed from Saturday into Sunday.

A cold front pushing southeast will collide with warm, humid air, fueling several days of intense storms. Thursday night’s line of storms across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois moved eastward, leaving 450,000 without power and unleashing hail as large as softballs, hurricane-force wind gusts, and up to a dozen tornadoes. Cleanup crews will assess wind damage in affected communities, where fallen trees and prolonged outages are expected.

Violent storms also hammered the Ohio Valley, with heavy rain and thunderstorms moving into western New York and northern Pennsylvania on Friday. Additional storms on Friday and early Saturday brought hail, damaging winds, and about two dozen tornadoes from Texas to the mid-Atlantic.

Saturday’s greatest threat of severe weather stretches from central Texas and Oklahoma to western Georgia, with flooding and strong winds expected in northeastern Pennsylvania, New York’s Hudson Valley, and western New England. New York City and other major Northeast metros face their highest risk of severe storms this weekend.

While tornado numbers may be fewer on Saturday, even one brief tornado could cause major destruction and casualties. On Sunday, severe thunderstorms will shift westward, threatening the central and southern Plains with hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding.

Severe weather chances will rise again early next week in the Central states, with the potential for another damaging tornado outbreak putting more lives and property at risk.