Severe weather struck the storm-weary Midwest with a morning derecho and damaging tornadoes, then hit parts of the East from June 16-18, an event that included an unusual level 4 out of 5 risk (or a moderate risk) from the Storm Prediction Center.

Severe weather recap

The storms came as a strong low pressure system dipped into the northern U.S., starting in the Dakotas, pushing through the Great Lakes, and then moving into eastern Canada. The system fed on a strong jet stream and steamy moisture levels brought northward from the Gulf.

A line of severe thunderstorms with widespread damaging winds known as a derecho raked through parts of Iowa and Illinois the morning of June 17. Storms started in northwestern Iowa in the pre-dawn hours.

A level 4 out of 5 risk area was issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in parts of central Illinois and Indiana.

Five separate wind gusts of 75 mph or higher were clocked in Iowa, including a 94 mph gust near Marshalltown, where a machine shed was heavily damaged.

Elsewhere in Iowa, high winds peeled metal roofs and flipped a trailer near Pella, and a tree was downed on a home in Mediapolis. A wind gust of 78 mph was measured at the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport early June 17.

In Illinois, widespread tree damage was reported across northern Warren County, a roof was blown off in Monmouth and a funeral home was damaged in Williamsfield.

Following the morning derecho, severe thunderstorms redeveloped primarily from Missouri to Illinois and southern Indiana.

Damaging tornadoes struck near Effingham and near Mattoon, Illinois, the evening of June 17. Damage in Blue Mound, Illinois, also appears to have been from a tornado.

The National Weather Service in Central Illinois observed seven tornadoes in their area. The strongest was an EF3 in Effingham/Jasper county with estimated peak winds of 150 mph.

There was also an EF2 tornado in Charleston-Mattoon with estimated peak winds of 116 mph. They also reported four EF1s and one EF0.

Other tornadoes struck near Springfield's Capital Airport, Martinsville and Spencer, Indiana, and in Crawford County, Wisconsin.

The National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has sent out a survey team to Allamakee County, Iowa, and Crawford County, Wisconsin. They discovered EF2 damage with estimated peak winds of 115 mph. They also discovered an EF1 struck Iowa C0unty and Grant County, Wisconsin, with winds of 105 mph.

There were three EF1 tornadoes reported by the NWS Quad Cities: one in Monmouth, Illinois, one in Warsaw, Illinois and one in Linby, Iowa.

The NWS Milwaukee also reported three EF1 tornadoes. One in Boscobel, one in Ridgeway and a third in Belleville.

The NWS Indianapolis reported two EF1 tornadoes and an EF2 tornado in their area. The EF2 tornado impacted Own/Northern Monroe County, while the EF1 tornadoes impacted Jackson County and Vigo/Clay Counties.

National Weather Service damage survey teams will investigate these areas to determine tornado tracks and intensities in the coming days.

(MORE: America's top tornado state this year may surprise you)

Overnight, trees were downed, some onto homes, and at least one commercial building was damaged in Florence, Kentucky, just southwest of Cincinnati from what the National Weather Service is calling a "possible tornado".

Water rescues and some flooding of buildings was reported in the northern Cincinnati metro after overnight heavy rain.

In total, there were around 300 storm reports on June 17. While there were arond 30 tornado reports, the majority of them were wind reports.

On June 18, there were around 200 storm reports from New York to Maine, with numerous reports of trees and powerlines down all across the Northeast. These wind reports came from a squall line that swept through several states as the low pressure system exited into Canada.

There were also four tornadoes in the area, including an EF1 at Rock Stream in Yates County, New York and two EF1 tornadoes in Vermont.

Busy June so far

There was a severe weather outbreak across these areas just last week, where over 1,700 storm reports occurred between June 7 and 12.

(MORE: Severe Outbreak June 7 -12)

Below is a map showing all of these. Unfortunately, there will likely be more for some of these already hard-hit places as the week rolls on.

Reason for the storms

The Midwest really has been slammed for months now, and it all has to do with atmospheric conditions across the Lower 48. There has been a fairly persistent pattern where there has been a trough in the West, swinging into the Midwest that has led to round after round of severe storms. You need these upper level winds of the jet stream to provide plenty of shear, or changes in wind speed and direction in the atmosphere.

You also have to have plenty of instability, provided by the impressive warmth that remained across the region. Moisture is also needed, which we see plenty of moisture beign pulled to the north from the Gulf during these summer months.

(MORE: America's top tornado state of the year so far)