Tornado Outbreak So Far - And Even Worse Friday

By my count of official NWS storm surveys, I count 14 confirmed tornadoes in four states as of this morning (with many more surveys still ongoing). You can read our detailed timelines from Tuesday Night and Wednesday to see how the tornado outbreak unfolded, and check out our video & photo collection to see damage shots & twister video. This map shows the locations (of the confirmed tornado start-points) and a list of them is at the bottom of this report.

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Unfortunately, many of the same areas will be threatened by tornadoes again on Friday, and this outbreak will almost assuredly be worse - we are comparing it to the record Super Tornado Outbreak of April 1974 (from which I was spawned - I was born two months later). Our meteorologists are humbled by the data that they are seeing today, and we want the media to take heed.

For a scientific discussion of the length of the 1000-mile thunderstorm tracks that spawned the tornadoes, and how a hail chart could help predict tornadoes, visit yesterday's WeatherMatrix blog.

Tornadoes surveyed by NWS so far (will update daily through weekend): One EF-4, Eight EF-2s, Five EF-1s.

EF-4 Saline County, IL (Harrisburg, IL)
EF-2 Ballard/McCracken County KY / Pulaski/Massac County IL (Mounds, IL - Metropolis, KY)
EF-2 Muhlenberg County, KY (Greenville, KY)
EF-2 Stone / Taney County, MO (Branson, MO)
EF-2 Polk / Dallas County, MO (Halfway, MO)
EF-2 Laclede County, MO (Philipsburg, MO)
EF-2 Larue County, KY (Hodgenville, KY)
EF-2 Hardin County, KY (Elizabethtown, KY)
EF-2 Grayson County, KY (Horntown, KY)
EF-1 Muhlenberg County, KY (Greenville, KY)
EF-1 Warrich County, IN (Newburgh, IN)
EF-1 Henderson County, KY (Henderson, KY)
EF-1 Bennett Spring, MO
EF-1 Larue County, KY (Hodgenville, KY)

You can also check out some cool satellite pictures from the storm over at the CIMSS Blog: