Emergency officials ask the public to prepare for possible severe weather today and tonight. Hail and possible tornado conditions could pose a threat.

Strong storms rumbled through the Southern Plains early Thursday, missing major population centers but offering a preview of bad weather that could hit Chicago, Detroit and other big cities in the Midwest later in the day.

The Storm Prediction Center said 57 million people lived in an area with an "enhanced risk" of hail, damaging winds and tornadoes Thursday. Tornadoes were reported Wednesday and early Thursday in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, but those areas saw minimal damage.

Indiana State Police said high winds toppled a tractor-trailer on Interstate 69 near Evansville, while utilities reported a number of power outages after wind gusts reached 70 mph. Authorities in Hendricks County, west of Indianapolis, blamed a 75-year-old woman's death on flash flooding.

Areas that won't see strong storms Thursday could see heavy rain instead.

94.1 WGFA