Weeralarm V.S. # 4 Extreem weer - Tornado touchdown

quote:

A storm system charging across the Plains will trigger violent thunderstorms from Dallas to Columbus, Ohio today. Most storms will be on the prowl later today and tonight, creating dangerous conditions as the weekend begins.
Feisty thunderstorms rumbled eastward across Kansas overnight into this morning. These storms will continue marching eastward across Missouri today, and a few spotty but powerful thunderstorms will also roam central Texas this afternoon and evening.
However, more widespread dangerous storms will really get going tonight. Overnight, thunderstorms will threaten areas from Oklahoma into the Ohio Valley, erupting as cooler air diving across the Plains clashes with the warm, moist air in place.
A few tornadoes could tear through cities and towns along this swath. Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity has noted that so far in 2011, the U.S. is on track for making the list of years with the most tornadoes.

Masked by darkness, any twisters that develop will be especially dangerous. Residents of these areas should be sure to have a weather radio on hand to stay apprised of the situation and be prepared to take shelter immediately if necessary.
Wind gusts past 50 mph in thunderstorms will be capable of downing trees and power lines, damaging buildings, and toppling empty tractor trailers. Hail as large as golf balls will pound some locations as well.
Torrents of rain in the storms from Missouri to the Ohio Valley could lead to flash flooding problems. More than 2 inches of rain could douse some locations in this zone in a matter of hours.
Numerous rivers and streams in this area are already experiencing minor to moderate flooding. Additional heavy rain could aggravate existing flooding troubles and even send other waterways surging out of their banks.
Through tonight, Oklahoma City, Dallas, St. Louis, Little Rock, Louisville, Indianapolis and Cincinnati could all lie in the path of one of these vicious storms. Drenching downpours and gusty thunderstorms will continue to menace locations from northern Texas through the Ohio Valley into the first part of the weekend.

quote:

A strong tornado ripped through St. Louis near 8pm local time last night, severely damaging Lambert International Airport. The airport, the world's 30th busiest, may be closed for several days. The tornado ripped off the roof from Concourse C, blew out more than half of the windows in the main terminal, and moved an aircraft that was parked at a gate twenty feet. So far, only minor injuries due to flying glass have been reported from the tornado. The tornado also passed over nearby residential areas, causing severe damage characteristic of least a strong EF-2 tornado. Softball-sized hail also pelted three towns in Missouri--Hermann, Big Spring, and Warrenton--during last night's severe weather outbreak. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged 24 tornado reports yesterday in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. The cold front responsible for triggering last night's severe weather will remain draped over the nation's mid-section for the next three days, and a slight risk of severe weather is predicted along a swath from Texas to Ohio both Saturday and Sunday. A more substantial risk of severe weather is likely on Tuesday through Wednesday, as a new, more powerful spring storm system gathers strength over the Midwest.