Civil Emergency Message: Houghton and Keweenaw Counties, Michigan

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
MICHIGAN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY MARQUETTE MICHIGAN
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
721 PM EDT MON APR 29 2013

...CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE...

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE HOUGHTON
AND KEWEENAW COUNTY EMERGENCY COORDINATOR...IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
KEWEENAW AND HOUGHTON COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION...AND THE HOUGHTON AND
KEWEENAW COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

MOTORISTS ARE BEING ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH EXTREME
CAUTION...ESPECIALLY ALONG M-26 BETWEEN EAGLE RIVER AND COPPER
HARBOR...AND ALONG GAY-LAC LA BELLE ROAD.

THE KEWEENAW COUNTY ROAD ENGINEER HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF STANDING
WATER ALONG PORTIONS OF THOSE ROADS WHERE FLOODING HAS NEVER BEEN
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED.

ANY LOW-LYING SECTION OF ROAD IN THESE AREAS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
COLLECT WATER. DRIVING TOO FAST THROUGH THESE POOLS OF WATER CAN
EASILY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE

Civil Emergency Message: Ontonagon County, Michigan

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
MICHIGAN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY MARQUETTE MICHIGAN
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
107 PM EDT MON APR 29 2013

...CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE...

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE ONTONAGON
ROAD COMMISSION.

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MESSAGE FOR RESIDENTS LIVING OR
OTHERWISE TRAVELING ALONG M-28 BETWEEN BRUCE CROSSING AND BERGLAND.
THE 20 MILE STRETCH OF M-28 BETWEEN BRUCE CROSSING AND BERGLAND WILL
BE CLOSED STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AT 2 PM. THIS CLOSURE IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO FLOODING.

Flash Flood Emergency: Stewart County, Tennessee

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
838 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013

TNC005-043-083-085-125-161-280500-
/O.CON.KOHX.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-130428T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
STEWART TN-DICKSON TN-BENTON TN-HOUSTON TN-HUMPHREYS TN-MONTGOMERY TN-
838 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MONTGOMERY...
HUMPHREYS...HOUSTON...BENTON...WESTERN DICKSON AND STEWART COUNTIES
UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT FOR STEWART COUNTY...

AT 834 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUING TO IMPACT STEWART
COUNTY AND THE REST OF THE WARNED AREA. RADAR ESTIMATES RAINFALL
RATES OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS.
THIS WILL LEAD TO DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING.

IN STEWART COUNTY...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING
ON HIGHWAY 49 IN THE BEAR SPRING COMMUNITY...INDIAN MOUND ROAD...BIG
ROCK ROAD...JOINER HOLLOW ROAD... ROBERTSON HILL ROAD...WILDLIFE
ROAD...NORRIS HANCOCK ROAD...AND CENTERPOINT ROAD. ALSO WATER
RESCUES ARE OCCURRING AND RESIDENTS OF STEWART COUNTY SHOULD NOT
DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADS. DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING IS OCCURRING IN
STEWART COUNTY.

THE AREA OF HEAVY RAIN IMPACTING STEWART COUNTY IS MOVING INTO
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. INTENSE RAINFALL RATES WITH THESE STORMS WILL
LIKELY CAUSE DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF MONTGOMERY
COUNTY...AND IT WILL BE HARD TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF WATER COVERED
ROADS. IF YOU COME ACROSS A FLOODED ROAD...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING
THIS EVENING INCLUDE...CAMDEN...CLARKSVILLE...DOVER...ERIN...
WAVERLY...BIG ROCK...HURRICANE MILLS...MCEWEN...NEW JOHNSONVILLE AND
TENNESSEE RIDGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

&&

LAT...LON 3667 8786 3664 8784 3664 8712 3592 8766
      3590 8771 3584 8772 3583 8809 3585 8822
      3612 8822 3626 8809 3636 8810 3637 8801
      3644 8807 3653 8804 3668 8807

$$

05

Severe Thunderstorm Watch #144

This includes Corpus Christi and Laredo.

Tornado Watch #141, Severe Thunderstorm Watches #142-143

This includes Pine Bluff, Memphis, and Jackson.


This includes Houston, Galveston, Austin, San Antonio, Del Rio, and College Station.


This includes Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville, Muscle Shoals, and Gadsden.

Further 4/27/11 posts will come after the severe weather threat is over.

Civil Emergency Message: Houghton County, Michigan

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
HOUGHTON COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
1234 PM EDT SAT APR 27 2013

...CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE...

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE
HOUGHTON COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MEASURES.

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MESSAGE FOR RESIDENTS ALONG THE
STURGEON RIVER AT CHASSELL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVER
FORECAST CENTER IS CALLING FOR THE STURGEON RIVER TO REACH FLOOD
STAGE WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE HOUGHTON COUNTY OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MEASURES IS ASKING RESIDENTS TO SEEK HOUSING AWAY FROM THE
STURGEON RIVER NOW BEFORE THE RIVER REACHES FLOOD STAGE. STAYING ON
THE RIVER NEEDLESSLY POSES RISKS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN THE
EVENT YOU REQUEST HELP AFTER THE RIVER REACHES AND EXCEEDS FLOOD
STAGE.

$$

JLA

April 25-28, 2011 Tornado Outbreak Part 3

The 27th wound up being the worst storm day of the outbreak, and the worst since April 3, 1974. The SPC issued a high risk over parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia for the day, eventually bumping the tornado probabilities in their day 1 outlook to 45%, which more than exceeds the minimum tornado probability (30%) to issue a high risk. 

 I mentioned in the last post that storms were firing in western Mississippi late on the night of the 26th. Those storms eventually moved into Alabama. Most forecasts thought that the storms would weaken and not be severe over the state due to a capping inversion. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The storms formed a massive squall line that produced severe damage in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama before dawn on the 27th, causing very severe damage, knocking out power to more than 250,000 people in the state of Alabama alone. The storms also posed the problem of knocking out tornado sirens and NOAA Weather Radio towers across the region, leaving many struggling to get warnings. 

The first round of storms moved out, and more storms began firing in Mississippi. Several tornado emergencies were issued throughout the day, and as one would normally expect when there is a tornado emergency, there were very violent tornadoes heading toward populated areas. I'll post area TV stations' coverage, as well as the tornado emergency bulletins as I come across them today. 

The outbreak on the 27th produced four EF5 tornadoes, affecting most notably:

1. Philadelphia, MS

2. Rainsville, AL

3. Hackleburg, Phil Campbell, and the northern suburbs of Huntsville, AL

4. Smithville, MS and Shottsville, AL

The outbreak produced several EF4 tornadoes, affecting areas such as:

1. Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, AL

2. Cordova, AL

3. Cullman and Arab, AL

4. Raleigh, MS and Uniontown, AL

5. Ohatchee and Piedmont, AL

6. Ringgold, GA and Cleveland, TN

First piece of coverage, starting at 2:00PM, from ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. 

Philadelphia EF5, from Andy Gabrielson

April 25-28, 2011 Tornado Outbreak Part 2

April 26 was the first high risk day of the outbreak. This was the 20z day 1 convective outlook, followed by the probabilities.

Tornado

Wind

Hail

Obviously, there was great concern that day, and as the urgency of the situation began to increase, several watches were issued, including three PDS Tornado Watches.



Tornado reports stretched from Texas up to New York on that day, with the strongest tornado being an EF3 that caused major damage to Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Note the time that the third PDS Tornado Watch expires. This is where the first round of storms across Mississippi and Alabama on the 27th began. The squall line, as well as the rest of the 27th will be discussed later today and tomorrow.

April 25-28, 2011 Tornado Outbreak Part 1

April 25, 2011 was the first day of the Mega Tornado Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in recorded history. The SPC had highlighted a moderate risk area over parts of the south.

At 3:25PM CDT, a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch was issued over parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, among several other watches issued that day.

At 7:24PM CDT, a Tornado Emergency was issued for Vilonia, Arkansas, for what would later be determined to be an EF2 tornado that severely damaged part of the city. This was the only Tornado Emergency issued that night.

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CLEBURNE...
SOUTHWESTERN WHITE...EAST CENTRAL FAULKNER AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN
LONOKE COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM CDT...

...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR VILONIA...

AT 720 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A CONFIRMED TORNADO WITH REPORTS OF
DAMAGE. THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF VILONIA...OR 7 MILES EAST OF LAKE CONWAY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
SEARCY... VILONIA... ROSE BUD...
MT VERNON... HIGGINSON... GRAVEL HILL...
ENOLA... CROSBY... SIDON...
ROMANCE... OTTO... LETONA...
JOY... FLOYD... EL PASO...
CENTER HILL... ARMSTRONG SPRINGS... ALBION...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A VIOLENT TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. THIS IS AN
EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS STORM IS PRODUCING A LIFE
THREATENING...CONFIRMED TORNADO CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANT DESTRUCTION!
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!

This is what the tornado looked like on radar. The bright purple at the end is the debris ball.


Another tornado, an EF3, touched down in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. There were also several other tornadoes in this area. There were four fatalities in Faulker County, AR, Vilonia's county, from the outbreak. 

Tomorrow, part 2: April 26. 

Mobile River Barge Explosion

Multiple barges have exploded on the Mobile River just south of downtown Mobile, AL. ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) had this image off of their Skycam Network from Battleship Park in Mobile.

At least three explosions have occurred on the Mobile River fuel barge, causing at least three injuries. A one mile evacuation area around the site of the explosions has been ordered. Reports are that areas of northern Baldwin and Mobile counties, up around Spanish Fort. You can watch live streaming here, where 33/40 is showing video from WKRG in Mobile of the explosion.

UPDATE: Reports of a fourth explosion occurring.

Tornado Watch #137

This includes McComb, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.

Update

The storms continue to push eastward toward the Atlantic Ocean this afternoon. You can see where the watches, risk area, and storms are now.


An apparent tornado caused significant damage and injuries in Mansfield, GA this afternoon. I have not seen any pictures or videos yet, but I will pass them along when I do see them.

Storm reports from Wednesday show that several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma. NWS is working on damage assessment and final ratings will be posted when they become available. Tornadoes touched down in Lawton, and a brief tornado touched down in Tulsa.

Yesterday saw storms produce tornadoes in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Illinois. Interestingly, no tornadoes have been confirmed in the areas of Indiana and Illinois that were under a PDS Tornado Watch.


Overall, a very active pattern will thankfully come to an end for at least the weekend.

First Tornado of the Year Confirmed in Canada

North America's crazy weather this year just got crazier. Summary: A brief EF1 tornado touched down in Ontario west of Toronto yesterday. 

AWCN11 CWTO 191928
UPDATED WEATHER SUMMARY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
AT 3:21 PM EDT FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2013.

-------------------------------------------------------------
==WEATHER EVENT DISCUSSION==

..FIRST TORNADO OF THE SEASON IN ONTARIO CONFIRMED..

AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM EDT ON THURSDAY, APRIL 18, A STRONG LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE SHELBURNE AREA TO THE NORTHWEST OF
TORONTO. BASED ON A DAMAGE SURVEY BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA PERSONNEL,
ONE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED A BRIEF ENHANCED FUJITA (EF) 1
TORNADO APPROXIMATELY 6 KILOMETRES TO THE NORTHWEST OF SHELBURNE. AN
EF-1 TORNADO HAS PEAK WINDS BETWEEN 135 AND 175 KILOMETRES PER HOUR.
THE KEY DAMAGE NOTED AT THIS SCENE WAS A BARN WITH ITS ROOF AND TWO
WALLS REMOVED WITH SOME PIECES OF THE BARN FIRMLY EMBEDDED INTO THE
GROUND AT A DISTANCE OF 50 TO 100 METRES FROM THE ORIGINAL LOCATION.
THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 500 METRES WITH A WIDTH OF
75 METRES. INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONTINUING IN THIS AREA THAT MAY
RESULT IN THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF THE DAMAGE TRACK CHANGING OR OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF OTHER TORNADOES. THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED
AS NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THIS IS THE FIRST TORNADO OF THE SEASON, NOT ONLY IN ONTARIO BUT IN
ALL OF CANADA. THE SUMMER SEVERE WEATHER SEASON NORMALLY BEGINS IN
LATE APRIL AND ENDS IN EARLY OCTOBER. ONTARIO SEES AN AVERAGE OF 12
TORNADOES EACH YEAR. THIS TORNADO ALSO REPRESENTS THE FIRST TORNADO
IN CANADA TO BE RATED USING THE ENHANCED FUJITA (EF) SCALE AS OPPOSED
TO THE ORIGINAL FUJITA SCALE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADOPTED
THE EF SCALE IN 2007 AND ENVIRONMENT CANADA HAS MONITORED ITS USE
SINCE THAT TIME AND HAS DECIDED TO ALSO ADOPT THIS SCALE BEGINNING
THIS YEAR. THE TYPES OF DAMAGE PRODUCED BY TORNADOES ON EITHER THE
ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE OR THE ORIGINAL FUJITA SCALE ARE SIMILAR.
HOWEVER, THE WIND SPEEDS OF THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED
BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE WINDS REQUIRED
TO DAMAGE STRUCTURES, VEHICLES AND TREES.

THIS WEATHER SUMMARY CONTAINS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AND MAY NOT
CONSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL OR FINAL REPORT.

END/OSPC

Tornado Watches #126-127

This includes Jackson, Monroe, Greenville, and Starkville.


This includes Indianapolis and Muncie. This replaces portions of the previously issued Tornado Watch, and does not have the PDS label.

Tornado Watches 123-125

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) TORNADO WATCH! This includes Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Terre Haute.


This includes Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, and Ann Arbor.


This includes Little Rock, Paducah, and the western suburbs of Memphis.

FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR PARTS OF THE CHICAGO METRO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
632 AM CDT THU APR 18 2013

ILC031-037-043-063-089-093-099-103-197-181700-
/O.CON.KLOT.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-130418T1700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
KANE IL-KENDALL IL-LA SALLE IL-WILL IL-GRUNDY IL-DE KALB IL-DUPAGE
IL-
LEE IL-COOK IL-
632 AM CDT THU APR 18 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COOK...SOUTHEASTERN
LEE...DUPAGE...SOUTHERN DE KALB...NORTHERN GRUNDY...NORTHWESTERN
WILL...LA SALLE...KENDALL AND KANE COUNTIES UNTIL NOON CDT...

THIS IS A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR DUPAGE AND COOK COUNTIES.

AT 626 AM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS ROADS
AND INTERSTATES WERE CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. REPORTS OF STRANDED
VEHICLES HAVE ALSO BEEN RELAYED IN ADDITION TO FLOODED HOMES AND
OTHER BUILDINGS. SOME MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALSO DECLARED STATES OF
EMERGENCY DUE TO THE FLOODING.

3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN IN THE PAST 24 HOURS WITH
APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THAT FALLING SINCE ABOUT MIDNIGHT ACROSS MANY
AREAS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
MORNING HOURS WHICH WILL ONLY WORSEN EXISTING FLOODING AS WELL AS
ALLOW NEW FLOODING TO DEVELOP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS
AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS...VIADUCTS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...
RURAL ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND
OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

&&

LAT...LON 4214 8774 4208 8767 4197 8764 4196 8762
      4191 8762 4190 8760 4184 8760 4172 8752
      4110 8908 4111 8917 4158 8917 4158 8920
      4165 8921 4196 8876 4216 8833

$$

MDB/IZZI

Update @ 9:20PM and Breaking News

TORNADOES: Multiple tornadoes may have touched down near Lawton, OK, including one where power flashes were seen on Chopper 4 from KFOR in OKC. A 1/4 mile wide tornado was reported in Cotton County, OK. Tornado Warnings remain in effect for Cotton County until 10:00 CDT. Storms with weak rotation have moved across Norman, OK, and heavy rain has fallen in the OKC area. 

BREAKING NEWS: A large explosion happened at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, north of Waco. Firefighters were previously fighting a fire at the plant when the explosion happened at 7:50PM CDT. Here is one of the pictures I've seen from looking for info. 

TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR FORT SILL AND LAWTON, OK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
653 PM CDT WED APR 17 2013

OKC031-180015-
/O.CON.KOUN.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-130418T0015Z/
COMANCHE OK-
653 PM CDT WED APR 17 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
COMANCHE COUNTY...

AT 651 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS AND STORM
SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A CONFIRMED TORNADO LOCATED NEAR FORT SILL...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO A TORNADO...BASEBALL SIZE IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LAWTON...CACHE...ELGIN...MEDICINE PARK AND FORT SILL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW IN A STORM SHELTER OR AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A STURDY
BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.
&&

LAT...LON 3468 9866 3483 9833 3485 9827 3466 9814
      3465 9814 3450 9858
TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 239DEG 27KT 3463 9843

$$
WR

KFOR-TV OKC says there is a tornado going through Lawton. TAKE COVER NOW!

Update @ 6:00PM CDT

Current watches (Tornado red, T-Storm blue):

CURRENTLY: Storms are starting to go tornadic in parts of Oklahoma and Missouri. Reed Timmer had at least two brief tornado touchdowns on his live stream with a storm that's approaching Lawton, OK. Tornado sirens in Ninnekah, OK, are not working, so please, if you live near Ninnekah, find other ways of getting warnings ASAP, through TV, radio, or internet. The tornadic storm near Lawton will likely hit southern Grady County.  

SPORTS: Tonight's baseball game between the Cubs and Rangers was cancelled because of the threat of severe weather. Thunder Alley near Cheasapeake Arena in OKC will not open for tonight's game because of the severe weather.

Tornado Watch #118

This includes Springfield, Peoria, and Lafayette.

Tornado Watch #117

This includes Topeka, Emporia, and Chanute.

Tornado Watch #116

This includes Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Ardmore, Lawton, and Wichita Falls.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches 113 and 115, Tornado Watch 114

This includes Chicago, Peoria, Davenport, and Kirksville.


This includes Springfield, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Quincy.


This includes Bowling Green, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.

Today's Severe Weather Threat

SPC maintains the moderate risk over southeastern Kansas and much of Oklahoma for today, highlighted a 15% "significant hatched" area for tornadoes. The hatched area means there is a 10% or greater chance of EF2-EF5 tornadoes within 25 miles of a point.

Hail is also expected to be a major factor, as the SPC highlights a 45% "significant" hatched area, meaning that there is a 10% or greater chance of 2"+ diameter hail within 25 miles of a point.

Here is the link to some live streams within today's risk area:

KFOR (Oklahoma City)
KJRH (Tulsa)
KSN (Wichita)
5 News (Fort Smith, AR)
KMOV (St. Louis)

Severe Thunderstorm Watch #111

This includes Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Morgantown.

Tornado Watch #108

This includes Denton, Fayetteville, and the southern and eastern suburbs of both Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Boston Marathon Explosions

Two explosions happened at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I can't give you full details, but reports say that two are dead and at least 23 are injured. All national TV stations are broadcasting a special report at the time. It is not known who is responsible. There is a temporary flight restriction in the Boston area. If you go on any news or social media site, you could probably find a picture or video of the explosion and aftermath within less than a minute. Please pray for the people who are affected by this tragedy.

More Storms This Week

Last week's severe weather was highlighted by EF2 tornadoes in Arkansas and Missouri, and an EF3 struck Mississippi and west Alabama. This week looks like it could be a much more significant severe weather outbreak than last week.

I'll start by saying that the standard slight risk has been issued over southern Illinois and Missouri, and northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Greatest threat appears to be large hail, but isolated tornadoes are a possibility.


There is also a slight risk of severe weather tomorrow, this one over western Oklahoma and northwest Texas. Greatest threat is hail, and the tornado threat seems relatively low.

Wednesday will be the big day right now, as it stands. The SPC has already issued a moderate risk over central Oklahoma, SE Kansas, and SW Missouri.

Very large hail, destructive straight line winds, and tornadoes have all been highlighted in the SPC's convective synopsis for Wednesday, and everyone clearly needs to have a good source of information if you live in any of the highlighted risk areas. Below is the overall probabilities for the day, as of this morning.

UPDATE @ 9:50AM. I should mention that this is still three days out. There is no guarantee of large tornadoes yet (or any tornadoes, for that matter), and all of this could still change, for better or worse. I would suggest that you keep an eye on the weather in your local area, and should severe weather threaten, I'll try and keep the blog updated as much as I can. I won't always be available to blog, and you know that I don't generally blog warnings (Tornado Emergencies and severe weather watches are generally my only exceptions) For more up to date info for your area, follow local TV and radio stations, and also the NWS website. (weather.gov)

I'll post links to live streams either later today or tomorrow, if that's a more convenient method for you to get local information than TV or radio.

Keep in mind, not all stations have live streaming, so if I can't find one for your area, I apologize.

Tornado Watch #106

This includes Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville.

Tornado Watch #105

This includes Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Panama City.

Tornadoes Confirmed

Here's the general idea: some of the storm survey teams are still out, but here's what I can confirm in terms of tornadoes from yesterday:

1. This:

(JAN/BMX)Was determined to be have confirmed as an EF3 tornado in Kemper and Noxubee counties, MS, and caused EF1 damage in Pickens county, AL. Top winds of 145mph, total path length of 68.4 miles, most of that in Mississippi, and 3/4 mile wide, causing 1 fatality and 5 injuries. That would be the third major (EF3-EF5) tornado of the season. (Adairsville, GA EF3, Hattiesburg, MS EF4)

(HUN) 2. Two tornadoes were confirmed in the southern part of Huntsville, AL. No injuries have been reported, and both caused EF1 damage.

(BMX) 3. An EF2 tornado touched down in Notasulga, AL, west of Auburn. Two other tornadoes, both EF1, touched down in Winston county, near Addison and Smith Lake.

(FFC) 4. An EF1 tornado touched down in parts of Lumpkin and Hall counties in Georgia.

Tornado Watch #101

This includes Charlotte, Greenville, Atlanta, Macon, Dothan, and Tallahassee.

Tornado Watch #100

This includes Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Asheville.

Large Tornado in Mississippi and Alabama Today

A very large tornado touched down shortly after noon CDT in eastern Mississippi, and moved into west Alabama. There has been major damage in Noxubee county, MS, and Pickens county, AL, and at least one fatality was reported. That storm has greatly weakened, but did maintain a Tornado Warning until it moved northwest of Huntsville. Here are some damage and tornado pictures.

1. Rain wrapped tornado near Pickensville, AL


2. Damage in Pickens County, AL


3. Large Tornado in Noxubee county, MS