Severe Storms Wreak Havoc in Midwest, Plains

One person was killed Wednesday when severe storms hit the U.S. Plains and the Midwest, reportedly knocking out power and causing damage in areas that include Missouri, Kentucky, and Michigan. 

The storms, which included large hail and tornadoes, wreaked havoc in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, and Illinois on Wednesday evening.

The one storm-related death happened Wednesday evening in Hendricks County, Indiana, when a 75-year-old retired schoolteacher was clearing debris from her front yard when she was sucked into moving flood water and carried nearly three quarters of a mile before being deposited into a nearby creek.

Additionally, eight tornadoes were reported Wednesday in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, according to CNN.

Residents of Jackson, Kentucky took to social media to show photos of hail the size of baseballs that had fallen in their front yard as a result of Wednesday evening's tumultuous storms. Additionally, a student at the University of Dayton, Ohio was reportedly injured when he was struck by lightning.

Despite the massive storms that hit large swaths of the U.S. on Wednesday, Weather Channel lead meteorologist Kevin Roth told NBC News that forecasters were predicting more aggressive weather on Wednesday.

 "We were expecting a lot more," he said. "Despite the damage, mainly caused by the wind and hail, you could say it didn't not quite live up to expectations, which is a good thing when it comes to severe weather."

The massive storm front was expected to continue well into Thursday. According to The Washington Post, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has issued severe weather warnings for several major cities spanning from northeast Texas to the Mid-Atlantic, including the metro areas of Chicago, Indianapolis, Memphis, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.