A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan, killing at least nine people and wounding nearly 1,000 on Wednesday morning, according to Taiwan's fire department.
The big picture: Taiwan's National Fire Agency said the deaths occurred in Hualien County, near the strongest quake in 25 years' epicenter, as the island's Central News Agency reported hundreds of residents were trapped beneath partially collapsed buildings in the city of Hualien.
A broad and dangerous severe weather outbreak was affecting a large swath of the eastern U.S. from Ohio to Alabama over Tuesday night.
Why it matters: This is the most expansive and significant severe weather threat of the spring season to date, with high winds, hail and tornadoes threatening the affected areas. There were reports of widespread storm damage across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.
A "highly impactful, major Spring storm" that lashed parts of California with heavy snow and flooding rains over the weekend is bringing multiple severe weather impacts across the U.S. as it marches eastward in a multi-day outbreak.
The big picture: Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches on Monday evening stretched from Texas to Illinois, with flood watches from Illinois to West Virginia due to the storm that disrupted travel in parts of California and caused a major road slip on a section of the state's Highway 1.
