Iowa Tornado: Watch live radar showing strong storms threatening US East Coast

The threat for damaging thunderstorms will shift into the southeastern United States this weekend following as catastrophic tornado that hit Marshalltown, Iowa on Friday.

The American East Coast will be battered by heavy rain and strong storms and the potential of new tornadoes is now threatening southeastern residents.

Some of the cities at risk for potentially violent and drenching storms include Charleston, West Virginia; Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbia, South Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Residents, visitors and travellers from the southern Appalachians to the Southeast coast have been warned to remain weather aware throughout the weekend. 

Watch the storm centre live radar here.

Accuweather forecasters have warned the weather could change from sunny to life-threatening in a matter of minutes.

Several clusters of storms are likely to sweep through the area, bringing strong winds, hail and downpours that can trigger flash flooding.

Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph are possible in the strongest storms, which can cause tree branches and leaves to litter the ground, as well as downing mature trees and power lines.

It only takes a single tornado on a given day to devastate a community.

On Friday, a tornado caused catastrophic damage in Marshalltown, Iowa as it ripped through the northwest side of the city.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

But there were reports of several tornados in the area about an hour northeast of Des Moines.

Around 27,000 people live in the town. 

A tornado watch was also issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) across all of central and western Tennessee throughout Friday night.

NWS meteorologist Mark Rose commented on the conditions, stating: “People ought to be aware and stay alert in case storms move in.”

He also warned that isolated tornadoes and winds of up to 75 miles per hour may hit southern states.

Storms are forecast to start on the Cumberland Plateau and in the Sequatchie Valley, before moving into Chattanooga, Dayton, Cleveland, north Alabama and the far north-west of Georgia.

The Weather Channel added: “Severe storms could rumble across Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia well into the overnight hours.”