The severe weather that resulted in the loss of at least 21 lives over the extended holiday weekend has now shifted to the Northeast, affecting more than 30 million people who are under a severe thunderstorm watch.

The National Weather Service has issued the watch until 9 p.m. ET, encompassing major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Syracuse, New York. The storms are forecasted to produce wind gusts of up to 65 mph and quarter-sized hail.

This weather phenomenon follows a turbulent weekend across southern states and the Great Plains, where eight deaths were reported in Arkansas, seven in Texas, two in Oklahoma, and at least four in Kentucky. These fatalities were attributed to weather-related incidents, including falling trees.

During a news conference on Monday morning, Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear revealed details about the victims in his state, which included a 67-year-old woman in Mercer County, a 62-year-old woman in Hardin County, a 48-year-old woman in Hopkins County, and a 34-year-old man in Jefferson County. Beshear also mentioned that another individual is currently “fighting for his life.”

Beshear described Sunday as a “tragic night,” noting that devastating storms affected nearly the entire state. Some Kentucky State Police phone lines were damaged during the storms, resulting in 911 calls being rerouted to other agencies.

Despite the widespread damage to homes and businesses, Beshear shared a glimmer of hope amid the tragedy. He recounted a miraculous incident where a tree fell on a young girl riding her bike, but she emerged unharmed, albeit with damage to her bike. Beshear remarked, “There’s a bit of a hand of God in that story.”

The National Weather Service has announced plans to dispatch at least two teams to survey the extensive damage across Kentucky, a process expected to span several days. In response to the severe weather, a state of emergency has been declared in numerous counties in Kentucky and across parts of Arkansas.

Reports and images from Valley View, Texas, a small farming community located approximately 55 miles north of Fort Worth, depict widespread destruction of homes and vehicles. Additionally, weather watchers have shared photographs from Missouri and Kentucky, showcasing massive, ominous funnel clouds along with golf ball-sized hailstones.

The severe weather extended to Colorado, where a rancher named Mike Morgan, 51, and 34 of his cattle were tragically killed in a lightning strike near the town of Rand, situated 80 miles northwest of Denver, according to the Jackson County coroner. Morgan was feeding cattle from a trailer in an open pasture when the lightning bolt struck, while the rest of the 100 head of cattle remained unharmed.

As of 3 p.m. ET, PowerOutage.us reported that over 350,000 homes and businesses were without power in affected areas, with more than 148,000 in Kentucky and over 57,000 in Arkansas.

While a cold front moves northward, extreme heat warnings have been issued for southern and central Texas, where temperatures could soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, potentially surpassing daily records. The National Weather Service forecasts that the heat index, a measure of how hot it feels, could reach a potentially hazardous 120 degrees in the Lone Star State. Similarly scorching conditions are expected for Key West, Florida, and surrounding areas.