A large swath of the central U.S., from Texas to Wisconsin, has a heightened potential for severe storms and tornadoes through tonight, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The warnings come just days after many communities in the same area were devastated by the same hazards.
According to the NWS, the areas of highest risk, assessed at Level 4 for “Moderate Risk” out of five levels, are in portions of Iowa, northwestern Illinois, southern Missouri, and west-central Arkansas. The NWS notes all modes of severe weather are possible there, including “the potential for supercells with long-track tornadoes.” In addition, the NWS states, “Heavy rainfall may also lead to some localized instances of flooding.” The possibility of tornadoes occurring in the night has prompted additional concerns, as they are nearly twice as deadly as daytime events given the same visual cues are absent and more people are at home. This aspect was tragically demonstrated during the activity late last week, when numerous tornadoes impacted communities overnight. The severe weather and tornadoes, of which there were preliminary reports of 134, led to at least 31 deaths. There have also been critical infrastructure impacts, some of which appear to have stemmed from power outages. In one specific example of the recent activity’s impacts, Whiteland, Indiana – about 20 miles south of Indianapolis – is believed to have been hit by an EF2 tornado, with peaks winds of 135 mph. The town has issued a boil water advisory following the tornado. Read more at the Washington Post (articles one and two) and the Indy Star (articles one and two).
These latest events add to what has already been a very active period for tornadoes, with the “traditional” season of peak activity (April and May) now arrived. Given the activity, WaterISAC reminds its members of the resources to assist with preparing for and responding to these events, which include EPA’s Incident Action Checklist – Tornado and information and tools available through FEMA’s Ready.gov website.
