Find more information about this outbreak in Liveblog 1, which is no longer being updated.
This diary will be solely a liveblog. Updates will be posted below the fold in reverse chronological order (latest first, oldest last). There are reports of a very large tornado destroying Henryville IN and Marysville IN, with more storms continuing to fire.
Watches as of 1113PM CT:
Update 26 951PM CT: Still tracking that extremely strong tornadic storm south of Birmingham AL, straddling the Autauga/Chilton County line in east-central Alabama. The tornado passed just north of Billingsley and will cross I-65 in a few minutes. The communities of Billingsley, Pooles, Crossroads, Verbena, Marbury, Enterprise, New Prospect, Cooper and Mitchell Dam will be affected by this likely tornado.
Update 25 923PM CT: Velocity image out of Birmingham AL shows incredibly strong rotation to the west of Montgomery AL right now, with a tornado warning in effect for Autauga, Chilton, Dallas and Perry Counties. This is a very dangerous storm with a likely tornado doing damage.
Update 24 909PM CT: Blanket tornado warnings for the northeastern part of Tennessee. It's not individual strong rotations so much as little kinks and spinups along the leading edge of a squall line advancing through the area.
Update 23 849PM CT:
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM EST FOR WESTERN JACKSON...SOUTHERN HALL...NORTHEASTERN GWINNETT...SOUTHEASTERN FORSYTH AND NORTHERN BARROW COUNTIES...
AT 942 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS INDICATIONS THAT A TORNADO IS BECOMING STRONGER WITH DAMAGING WINDS CREATING A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SUWANEE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE LANIER ISLANDS...BUFORD...REST HAVEN...OSCARVILLE...AQUALAND PARK...HOG MOUNTAIN...DACULA...FLOWERY BRANCH...OAKWOOD...AUBURN...CARL... CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN...CHATEAU ELAN...THOMPSONS MILL...ROAD
TLANTA-LANIER SPEEDWAY...GAINESVILLE...COUNTY LINE...CANDLER... BRASELTON...HOSCHTON...TALMO...PENDERGRASS...GILLSVILLE...JEFFERSON AND ARCADE.
Update 22 843PM CT: Doppler radar still detecting debris being kicked up by a tornado near Suwanee GA, moving to the east north east. Sugar Hill, Buford, Rest Haven, Flowery Branch, Oakwood and Auburn are in the path of this confirmed tornado.
Update 21 825PM CT: Updated radar of the confirmed tornado causing damage in Roswell GA. It will skirt southern Alpharetta GA and move directly towards Duluth and Suwanee GA. Debris is showing up on radar. This is a dangerous storm.
Update 20 819PM CT: Confirmed tornado moving through Marietta GA right now with debris being picked up on radar. Tornado EMERGENCY for Marietta, Woodstock, Mountain Park, Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Berkeley Lake, Johns Creek, Duluth, Cumming, Suwanee and Sugar Hill.
Update 19 804PM CT: A supercell thunderstorm showing strong rotation with a history of producing significant tornado damage is continuing to move through the northern suburbs of Atlanta. This is a very dangerous situation. Significant damage has been reported back to the west. Anyone north of Atlanta between Smyrna and Canton needs to take shelter NOW.
Update 18 740PM CT: Very strong rotation right on the TN/VA border east of Cumberland Gap TN. The possible tornado will track nearly parallel with the Tennessee/Virginia border.
Update 17 718PM CT: Here are three radar images of that very strong tornado northwest of Atlanta near Buchanan GA. The first is the base reflectivity (precipitation), the second is base reflectivity (winds...red = wind moving northwest...green = wind moving southeast), the third is a rotation index with warmer colors indication stronger rotation. Green is 1 and significant, red is 2 and very significant.
Marietta GA could see this very strong tornado in 25-30 minutes.
Reflectivity:
Velocity:
Rotation Index:
Update 16 705PM CT: Tornado on the ground doing damage and spewing debris up into the atmosphere just crossing the AL/GA border northwest of Atlanta. Tornado warning for Polk and Harralson Counties in GA.
Update 15 635PM CT: The storm referenced in Update 14 is just now crossing the KY/WV border. Very, very strong rotation and likely a tornado on the ground with this storm.
Update 14 557PM CT: Perfect curly hook on the supercell producing the confirmed tornado northeast of Jackson KY right now. Salyersville and Paintsville are directly in the path of this large, dangerous tornado.
Update 13 552PM CT: "THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR CAMPTON...LEXI...SALYERSVILLE...AND BURKHART. TAKE COVER NOW!
STORM SPOTTERS AND NWS DOPPLER RADAR WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR BOOTH...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAMPTON. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 70 MPH."
Update 12 543PM CT: The storm with a history of producing damage and fatalities in West Liberty KY has just crossed the WV line. The tornado will pass very near or over Kiahsville WV in the next 10-20 minutes.
Update 11 533PM CT: New tornado warning for Lawrence Co. in KY and the Counties of Cabell, Lincoln, and Wayne in West Virginia. Tornado on the ground with a small debris ball on radar just west of Gallup and southwest of Louisa, moving east at 55MPH. It will cross the KY/WV line shortly and enter the cities southwest of Charleston WV soon.
Update 10 513PM CT: 53 tornado reports so far, but many of those reports are duplicates from the same tornado. The Weather Channel just showed aerial pictures of Marysville IN and the town is leveled. There are some structures still standing, but it looks like a war zone.
Update 9 509PM CT: Strong rotation and likely tornado just west of Owingsville, which will come directly into the city over the next few minutes. It will continue along almost directly parallel to I-64 up through Morehead KY.
The tornadic signature is where the red and green are wrapped around each other just west of Owingsville.
Update 8 503PM CT: Confirmed tornado on the ground just east of West Liberty KY. One mile wide debris ball showing up on radar. Tornado EMERGENCY for West Liberty, Cottle, Silverhill, and Mima KY. This will be near the KY/WV state line in about 30 minutes, and will approach the Charleston WV area in an hour to an hour and a half.
Update 7 450PM CT: Tornado EMERGENCY for Wellington, Artville, Omar, and Arnett in Kentucky. Cities expected to be impacted include but are not limited to Arnett, Kellacey, Dehart, Ebon, Yocum, Wrigley, Pomp, Lick Branch, Little Sandy, Steele, Lenox, Elkfork, Sandy Hook, Crockett, Newfoundland.
Update 6 444PM CT: Here's a photo of some of the damage in Marysville IN, from Jacob Wycoff and taken by WeatherBug meteorologist Ben Michalak.
Update 5 439PM CT: New tornado watch for most of Alabama, part of eastern Mississippi, and part of western Georgia INCLUDING Atlanta, until midnight.
Update 4 434PM CT: Funnel cloud reported just south of Bowling Green KY.
Update 3 415PM CT: New tornado watch in eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia. This is a PDS tornado watch.
Update 2 401PM CT: Here's the storm in Nashville...it doesn't have too much rotation, but it is still tornado warned and dangerous.
There is also a tornado on the ground in southern Ohio just to the northwest of Georgetown. This confirmed tornado will move just north of Georgetown through Brown County.
Update 1 351PM CT: There are 20 tornado warnings in effect right now. I can't keep up with them all. The most serious one right now is about to hit Nashville. A tornado warned storm with a history of producing building damage is about to trek through downtown Nashville TN. This storm contains a possible tornado. This is a dangerous situation.