Tornado alert in for the Central and Southern Plains today

[ny biker]

Folks in the affected areas have probably heard about this already, since they've been talking about it for at least a day now. But just in case --

From the NOAA Storm Prediction Center --


PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1125 AM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

...A SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAK OF STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES IS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL STRONG TO VIOLENT...LONG-TRACK TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE

CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS
CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

ELSEWHERE...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM...NORTH TEXAS TO IOWA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA/SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS WILL EXPAND NORTHWARD FROM OKLAHOMA TO KANSAS AND NEBRASKA TODAY IN ADVANCE OF A POTENT STORM SYSTEM. MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF DANGEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS...OVER PARTS OF WESTERN KANSAS INTO NEBRASKA LATE THIS MORNING...ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AS THEY MOVE NORTHEASTWARD/EASTWARD. ADDITIONAL INTENSE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR A SURFACE LOW IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON...AND SOUTHWARD ALONG THE WEST EDGE OF THE HUMID AIR MASS INTO CENTRAL KANSAS AND WESTERN/CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. STRONG WINDS THROUGHOUT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE VERY FAVORABLE FOR POWERFUL SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES...AS WELL AS VERY LARGE HAIL OVER LONG PATHS FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL AT LEAST MIDNIGHT. FAST-MOVING TORNADOES CONTINUING AFTER DARK WILL HEIGHTEN THE RISK TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. SOME OF THE LARGER CITIES THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE OMAHA AND LINCOLN NEBRASKA...TOPEKA AND WICHITA KANSAS...AS WELL AS OKLAHOMA CITY AND TULSA OKLAHOMA.

STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE MONITORING THIS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE
WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.

[Tri Girl]

yeah, I'm pretty excited about it.
Already packed my emergency backpack with food/water/supplies/important papers and the portable dog crate. I'm ready to run across the street to the neighbor's cellar if need be.

Hope it passes without incident....

[Deborajen]

We've put both cars in the garage and have been making preparations to get all of us - two people and three critters - to the basement quickly. There have already been several tornadoes out west. This system looks bad. If you're in the path, be safe.

[ClockworkOrange]

Sending good thoughts out to all those affected, must be so scary, living in the UK we are so fortunate not to experience such extreme weather.

Take care and keep safe.

[Deborajen]

Tornado hit our city last night (Wichita) and did heavy damage to south and southeast parts of town. Fortunately, no lives lost and no serious injuries. We live 10 miles away so we're fine. We just got rain and wind, but we did go to the basement because when the storm was coming in we didn't know for sure which direction it would go. Hope everyone else stayed safe.

[Catrin]

Tornado hit our city last night (Wichita) and did heavy damage to south and southeast parts of town. Fortunately, no lives lost and no serious injuries. We live 10 miles away so we're fine. We just got rain and wind, but we did go to the basement because when the storm was coming in we didn't know for sure which direction it would go. Hope everyone else stayed safe.

Thankful you are fine, hope everyone else is as well!