Tornado watch: Two dead in Alabama as storms tear through South leaving thousands without power
The storm system is forecast to move east today
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The “threat for supercells capable of all severe hazards” continued into Wednesday morning, forecasters said, after tornadoes and severe weather tore through much of the southern US overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
At least two people were killed in Montgomery, Alabama, the state’s director of emergency management said, noting that there could be more as search-and-rescue crews began checking on residents and surveying the damage on Wednesday.
“They were in their home that was struck by a tree due to the tornado,” said Christina Thornton.
Parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee faced at least 17 tornadoes as well as severe flooding and tennis ball-sized hailstones as warnings continued in Alabama into Wednesday morning.
Images and videos of the aftermath of tornadoes showed damaged houses and fallen trees, while injuries began being reported in states like Mississippi and Louisiana.
High winds downed power lines leaving more than 50,000 customers in Mississippi and Alabama without electricity Wednesday morning, according to poweroutage.us.
Threats from the storms were expected to persist through early Wednesday morning. Later today the storm system is forecast to move east.
Texas towns under tornado warning
A tornado warning remains in place for the Texas towns of Milam and Bronson until 3.45pm (central time) on Tuesday.
Around 1,500 people live in the towns close to the border with Louisiana.
What role the climate crisis is playing in the severity and frequency of tornadoes is still being heavily debated in the scientific community.
However recent research has suggested that the rising global temperature may be shifting the paths of tornadoes in the United States.
You can read more at the link below.
The climate crisis is widening ‘tornado alley’
Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept across central Texas this week
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
The National Weather Service differentiates between a tornado watch and tornado warning.
A Tornado Watch tells residents to be prepared that tornadoes are possible, in and near the watch area. People should go over their emergency plans, check supplies and safe rooms. The aim is to be ready to act quickly. Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for counties where tornadoes may occur. The watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.
A Tornado Warning means take action because a twister has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent danger to life and property. People should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-constructed house or building, avoiding windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings typically encompass a much smaller area (around the size of a city or small county) that may be impacted by a tornado.
What is a ‘particularly dangerous situation’ in relation to a tornado watch?
According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, the “Particularly Dangerous Situation” wording is used in Tornado Watches for rare situations when long-lived intense tornadoes are likely.
The wording may also accompany Severe Thunderstorm Watches for widespread significant severe events, usually produced by exceptionally intense derechos.
PDS watches are issued, when in the opinion of the forecaster, the likelihood of significant events is boosted by very volatile atmospheric conditions.
What is a derecho?
A derecho is a wind storm that is long-lived, severe and takes place across a wide area.
Derecho-producing storm systems can also contain tornadoes, but they consist mostly of (and are defined by) damaging non-tornadic wind, according to the National Weather Service.
“Sometimes, an intense derecho can result in hundreds of severe wind and damage reports spread along a swath covering multiple states, with deaths, injuries, and many millions of dollars in losses,” the federal agency says.
In August 2020, a powerful derecho struck the Midwest and caused more than $11billion in damages across eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
Winds reached 126mph (203 km/h) in Iowa and sustained winds held at around 70mph through the affected area.
There were blackouts across the region including in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which was left without power for weeks in some parts. There was also severe damage to crop staples like corn and soybeans in the agricultural stronghold.
Storms cause major tornadoes, flooding across South
Residents in several towns across Louisiana and Mississippi took cover as tornado sirens blared late at night yesterday.
The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes hit the ground in Mississippi yesterday evening and Alabama was in the forecast path of the storms during the overnight hours.
There were no immediate reports of severe damage or injuries as multiple tornado warnings were issued starting Tuesday afternoon and continuing into the nighttime hours as heavy thunderstorms rolled from eastern Texas to Georgia and as far north as Indiana.
The national Storm Prediction Center said in its storm outlook that affected cities could include New Orleans; Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama. More than 25 million people were at risk as the vast storm system.
Six people trapped by tornado in Mississippi
The National Weather Service received reports of people trapped at a grocery store in Caledonia, Mississippi, amid the storms and flooding.
The report was received just after 6pm, Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency Director Cindy Lawrence told WTVA-TV.
The people inside the grocery store made it out safely, she added.
Ms Lawrence also said a family trapped in a house about a kilometre from the store escaped.
Additional reports of property damage near Columbus were received by the NWS, according to Lance Perrilloux, a forecaster with the agency.
Heavy rain and hail as big as tennis balls were also possible as forecasters said the bad weather was expected to continue into Wednesday.
Schools, universities switch to remote class as snowfall and reduced visibility causes traffic disruptions
Schools and universities in Mississippi have asked students to stay home as the weather worsens amid heavy thunderstorms, snowfall and rains.
Some of Mississippi's public school systems closed early while Mississippi State University's main campus in Starkville switched to remote instruction.
The weather has caused disturbances to traffic as well in some parts of the Upper Midwest as flood watches were issued for parts of southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama, where 3 to 5 inches of rain could lead to flash flooding, the National Weather Service said.
A Mississippi State women's basketball game against the University of Louisiana-Monroe was to be played on campus, but the venue was closed to spectators. Alcorn State University and the University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg were closing early.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport tweeted this afternoon that its runways were closed due to fast snowfall rates and reduced visibility.
Air traffic websites showed some inbound planes circling or diverting to other airports such as St Cloud, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota.
The National Weather Service reported nearly 4 inches of snow on the ground at the airport by noon.
Images show broken house after a tornado in Louisiana
Images from Caldwell Parish in Louisiana show the aftermath of a tornado which injured two people, according to local media outlets.
Photos shared by KNOE8 reporter Tyler Englander show a broken house with heavy damages inside after a storm hit the town late at night.
Another image showed a dog waiting for his owners to return home after they were taken to a hospital.
Videos on social media showed intense lightning in the area during the storm.
No other damages or loss of life has been reported so far in the area as southern states continue to live under a severe weather outbreak tonight.
Multiple tornadoes touched down across Mississippi and Louisiana
At least 17 tornadoes have touched down across Mississippi and Louisiana before midnight, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration amid a “particularly dangerous” weather situation in the southern states.
Tornadoes were reported from Bassfield, Bywy, Steens and several other areas in Mississippi downing trees and damaging houses.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, at least two people were injured inside their homes during the storm (see post below).
Dozens of tornado watches have been issued in the southern states with power flashes, thunderstorms and hailstorms reported in several areas disrupting daily life.
Forecasters declared the storm system a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” — the highest level of a tornado watch.
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