Severe Weather Liveblog is a collective effort to keep Kossacks safe when a large severe weather outbreak takes place. These blogs will be posted as needed, based on user-interaction (comments) and duration of the severe weather event.
If you have emergency information that needs to be added to the diary (reports of tornadoes on the ground, emergency information telephone numbers, etc.), please indicate so in the subject line of the comment.
Right now, aside from myself, the editors of Severe Weather Liveblog are boatsie and Predictor. If you'd like to help, drop me a message.
Please keep in mind that any Severe Weather Liveblogs posted are not places for tasteless cracks at other people's expense. Post cheap political/social shots towards those affected at your own risk.
The big story right now seems to be The Storm That Won't Die™, which has torn a path from Elgin, OK all the way now to just northwest of Springfield, MO. It's had a tornado warning on it for almost 5 hours now, and it isn't showing any signs of letting up.
Elsewhere, severe thunderstorms are bubbling up all over the place. As I type this (936PM CST), there are 4 active tornado warnings and 3 active severe thunderstorm warnings in effect.
There have been 50+ reports of severe weather, including the tornado report on the KS/OK border near Elgin, OK (not Elgin AFB, it's a different place), numerous reports of quarter and golfball sized hail, and an 87 MPH wind report in Hannibal, MO.
The Storm That Won't Die™
Watches
Red = Tornado Watch ... Blue = Severe T'storm Watch ... Click image to go to SPC watch page.
Tornado Watch -- #21 -- Expires 900PM CST -- S. Kansas & N. Oklahoma
Tornado Watch -- #24 -- Expires 0300AM CST -- Southwestern Missouri
Tornado Watch -- #25 -- Expires 0400AM CST -- Central/Eastern MO & Southern IL
Tornado Watch -- #26 -- Expires 0400AM CST -- Most of AR, Eastern OK, NE Texas
Links
Click HERE to read my rant about why you need a weather radio.
National Weather Service
Storm Prediction Center
Wunderground
FEMA
American Red Cross
Salvation Army
Previous Liveblogs:
(2-24-2011) Liveblog 1 -- Tornado outbreak in mid-south
(2-24-2011) Liveblog 2 -- Tornado outbreak in mid-south
(2-25-2011) Summary of damages due to 2-24 tornado outbreak
(2-27-2011) Information on impending severe weather/tornado outbreak
(2-27-2011) Liveblog 3 -- Severe weather outbreak in mid-west & mid-south
(2-27-2011) Liveblog 4 -- Severe weather outbreak in mid-west & mid-south
(2-27-2011) Liveblog 5 -- Severe weather outbreak in mid-west & mid-south
(2-27-2011) Liveblog 6 -- Severe weather outbreak in mid-west & mid-south
Updates
UPDATE 1: (945PM CST)
Updated watches to reflect the new tornado watch that went up across southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois. It's in effect until 400AM CST.
Southwestern Missouri is a mess tonight, first getting pounded by The Storm That Won't Die (TSTWD), and now by a few storms on its heels. Springfield isn't out of the woods yet, as you guys could get some of the storms crossing the KS/MO border right now in a few hours.
Bolivar, MO looks to be the next target for TSTWD, which is going into its 6th hour of life.
Red boxes = Tornado Warning
Yellow boxes = Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Springfield, MO is about mid-picture on the right.
UPDATE 2: (1000PM CST)
Severe Thunderstorm Warning up for Grayson Co., Texas:
There's also a tornado warning out for a few counties in east-central Missouri, southwest of St. Louis. JGibson posted the text of the warning below in the comments. Thanks!
UPDATE 3: (1011PM CST)
New tornado watch up for eastern Oklahoma, most of Arkansas, and a bit of northeastern Texas. That line of thunderstorms they warned us about all day is quickly starting to form.
UPDATE 4: (1035PM CST)
The Storm That Won't Die still won't die:
The tornadic complex moving towards St. Louis has gathered oomph over the last hour or so, and is heading straight towards the city now. There are several tornado warnings associated with this batch, which expire around 1100PM CST.
UPDATE 5: (1048PM CST)
Tornado Warning just issued for St. Louis and surrounding area. This is going to be one hell of a storm for you folks.
* AT 1044 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE SQUALL LINE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF RAIN-WRAPPED TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO WIDESPREAD STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE. THESE DANGEROUS STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TRUESDALE TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BEAUFORT TO SULLIVAN...AND MOVING EAST AT 70 MPH.
UPDATE 6: (1055PM CST)
Hrrnngh. Yes, hrrnngh. I've resorted to sound effects because this is going to suck.
UPDATE 7: (1101PM CST)
Meanwhile in Arkansas, 13 counties are under a Severe T'storm Warning for the ever-growing line of storms about to envelop the western part of the state:
UPDATE 8: (1123PM CST)
STL Airport just reported 70 MPH winds, 70 MPH winds in Maryland Heights and "large hail." The radar in St. Louis is starting to go out because the radome is taking a beating from the storm. I'm watching STL Fox 2 online right now, good reporting from them.
Power flashes, wall cloud with rotation right outside the Fox 2 studio in St. Louis.
Confirmed tornado by trained spotters to the west of St. Louis causing transformers to blow.
UPDATE 9: (1147PM CST)
Home damage in St. Albans, MO from a tornado touchdown. A funnel cloud was spotted in Concord Village, MO causing transformer flashes and power outages. The line is east of STL now in Illinois, but the tornado threat hasn't subsided.
This will be the last update I do, as I'm burned out and need to go to bed. I thank you all deeply for the support you've given me throughout the day during this severe weather liveblog. It looks like the severe weather will shift east tomorrow, and I'll pick up the liveblog in the morning when I wake up.
Keep an eye on the sky, make sure you have your emergency supplies, and stay safe if you're in the path of the storms tonight. If you live east of Nashville, tomorrow is your day for danger.
Here's some power line damage right outside the Fox 2 news studio in Maryland Heights, Missouri:
Click to enlarge.