New liveblog posted 218PM CDT: click here.
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 evolution of the severe weather event.
These diaries will be posted when one or more of the following criteria are met:
- A moderate risk for severe weather, as denoted by the SPC.
- A major tornado outbreak anywhere in the United States (or Canada...but those are harder for the public to track and detect due to Canada's radar system and the way Environment Canada works its warnings)
- A derecho event, which can cause extreme damage over large areas.
- Landfalling hurricanes
- Severe weather events impacting a very densely populated metro area (Chicago, DC, NYC, Atlanta, etc.)
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 to lessen the delay in posting it to the diary.
Right now, aside from myself, the editors of Severe Weather Liveblog are not4morewars, 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 Storm Prediction center has issued a moderate risk for severe weather across the Ohio Valley today, giving about 7 million people a good chance for damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes this afternoon.
The statewide tornado siren test in Ohio was cancelled today, due to the threat of severe weather. Officials don't test emergency alert systems (the EAS, weather radios, tornado sirens, etc.) when there is a threat of severe weather, as the test could cause "crying wolf syndrome" later on.
To prepare for tornado season — generally April through July — the state is in the midst of observing Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week.
As part of that annual educational effort, a statewide tornado drill was scheduled to be conducted today, but was canceled due to the threat of severe weather.
The SPC issued a mesoscale discussion a little while ago, saying that a tornado watch is likely within the next hour or so for parts of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
From the text of MD225:
A SEVERE THREAT WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ACROSS ERN IND...CNTRL-ERN KY...OH AND WV THIS AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL...WIND DAMAGE AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT WILL BE LIKELY AS STORMS INITIATE AND EXPAND QUICKLY IN COVERAGE. A TORNADO WATCH SHOULD BE NECESSARY OVER THE 1 TO 2 HOURS.
Keep checking back for updates or new diaries, which will be posted as the situation warrants.
Watches
Red = Tornado Watch ... Blue = Severe T'storm Watch ... Click image to go to SPC watch page.
Tornado Watch -- #55 -- 900PM EDT -- KY, IN, OH, WV, PA
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
(2-28-2011) Liveblog 7 -- Severe weather outbreak continues in southeast
(2-28-2011) Liveblog 8 -- Severe weather enters major SE cities
(2-28-2011) Liveblog 9 -- Severe storms advance deeper into SE
(3-4-2011) Liveblog 10 -- Bow echo brings severe weather to STL area
(3-5-2011) Liveblog 11 -- Tornado threat for N. Gulf Coast
(3-5-2011) Liveblog 12 -- Tornado threat moves towards Mobile, AL area
(3-9-2011) Tornadoes hit Mobile, AL area and cause major damage
(3-14-2011) Liveblog 13 -- Line of severe storms threatens MS and AL
(3-23-2011) Moderate risk for severe weather in Ohio Valley
Updates
UPDATE 1 (1225PM CDT)
Huge tornado watch in effect now, covering upwards of 254 counties in the Ohio Valley. Severe thunderstorms are already bubbling up in Indiana with hail and damaging winds, and this threat will spread throughout the afternoon.
The new tornado watch in effect until 900PM EDT
Here's the radar showing the storms in Indiana:
UPDATE 2 (1249 CDT)
First tornado warning of the day is in effect for Decatur, Rush and Shelby Counties in Indiana. The towns of Adams, Sandusky, Clarksburg, Lake Santee, Milroy, and Saint Paul in Indiana are in the path of this potentially tornadic storm.