Thunderstorms described as severe are expected to hit the Great Plains and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday and into Thursday, and could affect as many as 65 million people. The storms, which come on the heels of a massive heat wave, tornadoes, and tropical rainfall, are expected to have lightning strikes, hail, big wind gusts, and blinding downpours. The weather is supposed to stretch from Wisconsin all the way to New Jersey and northern Maryland.