AccuWeather.com’s live coverage of the severe weather has ended. For additional coverage of the tornado damage in Louin, Mississippi, click here. For additional coverage, stream AccuWeather NOW anytime on our website. Stay up to date on the latest weather in your area by downloading the AccuWeather mobile app and visiting AccuWeather.com. And keep an eye on weather news and forecasts by following AccuWeather on:
• TikTok
• YouTube
A total of seven preliminary tornadoes were reported across Mississippi and Florida on Sunday as severe weather impacted the south-central United States, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). Five tornadoes were reported in Mississippi, including one in Louin, Mississippi, that killed one person and left at least 20 others injured. A brief tornado touched down on the west coast of Florida in Pine Island, according to the SPC. In addition to the twisters, damaging wind gusts and hail were also reported from Texas to Georgia.
Although the overall risk of severe weather on Monday is lower than it was this past weekend, storms could still cause problems across the South. Cities including New Orleans, Atlanta and Tampa have been included in a risk area outlined by AccuWeather meteorologists on Monday. Storms will be capable of producing flash flooding, hail and damaging winds. After Monday, the threat of severe weather will shift out of the South and transition back into the northern Plains, AccuWeather forecasters say.
Becky Collins, the vice president of marketing and community relations at South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel, Mississippi, confirmed with AccuWeather that at least one person has died and at least 20 people were injured from the tornado in Louin, Mississippi, late Sunday night. According to Collins, most of the people who were injured are in stable condition as of early Monday morning and some have already been released from the hospital. Louin, Mississippi, is a small town of 275 people about 55 miles southeast of Jackson. According to Collins, there aren’t a lot of hospitals close to the town. The South Central Regional Medical Center is located roughly 45 minutes away. Collins said there may be more victims at other hospitals.
The term Tornado Alley was first coined in 1952 when two meteorologists — Major Ernest J. Fawbush and Captain Robert C. Miller — studied severe weather in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. And since then, the term has stuck around as a way to describe the area that encompasses parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota, where it was believed tornadoes are the most frequent.
But with powerful tornadoes decimating areas in the Midwest and southeastern United States, there now may be a reason to believe that Tornado Alley has shifted east. “When you look at the trends in where tornadoes have occurred in recent years, it’s very clear that there have been more tornadoes farther south and farther east away from what people have typically known as the Tornado Alley across the Plains,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter explained. Click here to learn more about the research behind a shift in tornado frequency and how defining Tornado Alley is not as easy as it seems.
The town of Louin, Mississippi, was impacted by a massive tornado Sunday night, leaving behind injuries, damage to homes and downed trees and power lines. A tornado warning was issued at 11:16 p.m. CDT as a rotating thunderstorm approached the area between Louin and Bay Springs, but by 11:34, a confirmed tornado became apparent over Louin, with debris showing up on radar. Law enforcement reported "catastrophic" damage in the wake of the storm.
Multiple instances of large hail were reported across the Southeast on Sunday from severe weather. In Texas, tennis ball-size hail was recorded in Hunt on Sunday evening. Egg-size hail was also reported in Kerryville and just west of Hunt, Texas. In Arkansas, golf ball-size hail was reported in Beech Grove. To the east in Mississippi, golf-ball size hail was seen in Crystal Springs and Hazlehurst on Sunday afternoon.
Powerful thunderstorms with the potential for producing a tornado headed into Louisiana Sunday night, and a tornado warning was issued for northeastern Lincoln Parish until 10:45 p.m. CDT, according to the National Weather Service. The thunderstorm was near Bernice, or between the Arkansas border and Interstate 20, as of 10:00 p.m. CDT, and the storm was moving southward at 15 mph.
A tornado was observed near Forkville, Mississippi, on Sunday night according to the National Weather Service. Forkville is located north of Interstate 20 and about 30 miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The tornado was spotted at 8:06 p.m. CDT and was moving east at 20 mph. A tornado warning was issued for Newton and Scott Counties until 9 p.m. CDT.
Severe thunderstorms have resulted in damage across eastern Arkansas on Sunday evening. Trees were reported down in multiple areas of Randolph County, including near the intersection of Highway 62 and Squirrel Road, according to the National Weather Service. Downed trees were also reported near O'Kean and Pocahontas, Arkansas. Multiple tornado warnings were issued in the state on Sunday as the storms trekked across the state.
Over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into dangerous floodwaters, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you come across a flooded roadway, it is important toTurn Around, Don’t Drown! ® Just one foot of moving water is enough to sweep away your vehicle. While you should avoid driving into flooded roadways, if you happen to find yourself trapped in your car in fasting moving water the most important thing to remember to do is to stay calm. According toCar.com, here are a few other things to remember:
• Turn on your headlights and hazard lights to make it easier for emergency personnel to locate you.
• Unbuckle your seat belt and unlock your doors.
• Take your jacket and outer clothing off.
• If you can open your windows, do so slowly, climb out, move to higher ground and call 911.
If you can’t open your windows, you’ll have to open your doors. To do so, you must first equalize the water pressure inside your car to match the outside. This will require water to enter the car and fill up to about neck level. Once the doors are open, swim safely to land and call 911.
The overall risk of being struck by lightning is already low, with odds of one and 15,300 of being hit in your lifetime (defined as 80 years), according to the National Weather Service (NWS). But there are proper safety precautions one can take to further protect themselves when lightning is a risk in their area. When thunder roars, get indoors, is a catch phase used by the NWS for people to remember the safest place during a thunderstorm is inside. If you can’t get indoors, here are some other precautions you could take to protect yourself during a thunderstorm:
• Cars are better than nothing. While being in an enclosed car is not as safe as being inside a building, it is safer than staying outside.
• Stay low: It’s best to get as low to the ground as possible, you do not want to be the tallest thing around during a thunderstorm.
• Avoid bodies of water. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity, meaning it can travel far.
• Tents and pavilions are not good options. Many tents and pavilions have metallic or least frames made of other conductive materials. They are just as risky to stand under as a lone, tall tree.
• Don’t dawdle. While lightning can occasionally strike farther away, it typically strikes within a 10-mile radius around the storm. If you can hear thunder, then it’s time to get inside.
• Always check the forecast before heading outside. If you know you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, far from any nearby buildings or your car, check your local forecast before you leave the house for the day.
Multiple trees and power lines were reported down across Alabama and Mississippi on Sunday as severe storms continued to move through the area. In Laurel, Mississippi, numerous trees and power lines were reported down including a tree on a house and vehicle, according to The National Weather Service. Another tree was reported down near the exit ramp of Interstate 59 near Pachuta, Mississippi. In Alabama, power lines were down in Grove Hill and near Malbis on Sunday.
Power outages are slowly falling across Oklahoma following destructive, powerful storms that charged across the state Saturday, but restoring power may be a multi-day effort for one power company’s customers. Significant storm damage had caused damages across Oklahoma, especially in Tulsa where wind gusts had reached up to 100 mph — the same intensity as a Category 2 hurricane. “Due to the level of damage and hazards, this [restoring electricity] will be a multi-day recovery event,” the Public Service Company of Oklahoma said in a tweet. The number of customers without power across Oklahoma dipped below 300,000 by Sunday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US.
Storm Chaser Tony Laubach intercepted storms in western Oklahoma on Saturday, June 17, capturing footage of the powerful severe weather. In Beaver County, the storm chaser closed in on a wall cloud, or a cloud that lowers from the base of cumulonimbus clouds and sometimes forms tornadoes. The wall cloud didn’t lower to the ground to form a tornado, but there was rotation similar to that of a tornado. Straight-line winds were more of an issue in Slapout, Oklahoma, where Laubach filmed rain falling nearly sideways in the vicious winds.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that Wednesday’s severe weather event could evolve into derecho, a type of extreme weather that only occurs in the United States a few times a year. A derecho is a long-lived line of intense thunderstorms that produces frequent wind gusts of at least 58 mph over an area stretching at least 400 miles, according to NOAA. The line of severe storms must also have a width of at least 60 miles. A derecho is also known as an inland hurricane due to its rain, wind and appearance on satellite.
The 2020 derecho plows through the Midwest on Aug. 10.
Derechos are more common across the Plains, Midwest and Northeast, but in rare cases, they can unfold over other areas of the county. One of the strongest derechos in recent years took place in Iowa in August of 2020, where winds over 110 mph flattened fields of corn and caused billions in damage.
Correction: This post previously misstated the criteria for a derecho. It must have a width of 60 miles, and winds must be at least 58 mph or greater along most of the length of the storm's path.
Winds as strong as 100 mph tore through Tulsa, Oklahoma, and surrounding areas during the early hours of Sunday morning, knocking out power and downing trees. Shortly after midnight, local time, the National Weather Service updated a severe thunderstorm warning for Tulsa, noting that this was “a life threatening situation” and calling for people in the area to seek shelter immediately.“This destructive storm will contain wind gusts to 100 MPH!” Winds of 100 mph are equivalent to the strength of a Category 2 hurricane.
Around the same time, the police department in Jenks, Oklahoma, a few minutes' drive south of Tulsa, issued a civil emergency message via the National Weather Service warning of dangerous straight-line winds and warning residents to take cover immediately. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) clocked a wind gust of 100 mph in Tulsa around 12:30 a.m. Sunday. At least one injury was reported in Jenks, where a tree fell on a camper and tent at Pat Mayse Lake Camping area, and at least one fatality was reported in Beavers Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma when a tree fell onto an RV just after 12:30 a.m., according to the SPC. The center attributed the fatality to strong winds.
Power outages can occur as a result of severe weather, making preparing for them a vital part of severe weather preparations. It could take hours, days or even weeks for power to be restored after a severe weather event. A general rule of thumb is a family should have enough supplies to last at least 72 hours after a power outage, including non-perishable food and bottled water. Make sure to keep extra batteries for flashlights and emergency radios. Remember to prepare for any temperature by buying blankets, sweatshirts and battery-powered fans. Having rechargeable and portable batteries can also help you to survive long-term power outages so phones can remain charged for emergency contact between loved ones and urgent services.
The cluster of thunderstorms that erupted over eastern Colorado, the Oklahoma panhandle and northwestern Texas on Saturday afternoon raced across the southern United States and is currently stretching from Mississippi to Missouri. A wind gust of 57 mph was clocked in Memphis, Tennessee, as the line of storms moved through early Sunday morning. Heavy rain and frequent lightning are accompanying the storms, which can be dangerous for anyone across the region who is planning to travel or spend time outside across the region through Sunday morning.
Hundreds of thousands of electric customers were without power across the southern U.S. by Sunday morning, according to PowerOutage.US. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee accounted for some 767,000 power outages following the severe storms Saturday. The majority of the outages were located in Oklahoma, which alone accounted for over 300,000 of the customers left in the dark, followed by Texas. Storms are forecast to continue Sunday, including damaging winds that can contribute to downed trees and power lines.
If you or someone you know was impacted by severe weather, the task of filing a claim may seem daunting, but there are ways to make the process easier. When your property is damaged from a storm, document the damage by taking photos. Make sure to keep all receipts if you perform temporary repairs so you can have record for reimbursement, according to KTBS. It is also important to not pay anything up front and get everything in writing. Another tip is to be cautious of people going door-to-door who may be trying to capitalize from the severe weather.
When severe weather begins to fire up, radar helps to pinpoint the location of damaging tornadoes and quickly warn those in its path. As a thunderstorm rotates and strengthens, a hook-like shape may appear on the edge of the storm when viewed on radar. This hook can become more prominent in an area where a tornado can spawn as the storm intensifies. As a tornado touches down, it can loft objects and debris into the atmosphere, forming a cluster sometimes referred to as a “debris ball.” The presence of both strong rotation and a debris ball in the same area often indicates there is a radar-confirmed tornado occurring.
Over 540,000 customers are without power across the South as destructive thunderstorms continue to race across the region, according to PowerOutage.us. A staggering 260,000 of these outages are in Oklahoma, with roughly two-thirds of both Johnston County in the southern part of the state and Rogers County (northeast of Tulsa) in the dark as of late Saturday night. Over 120,000 customers remain without power in Texas, the vast majority of which are in the far northeastern corner of the state.
One tornado on its own is enough to devastate a community, but sometimes they spawn in clusters. “Wind shear is the most important ingredient for tornado-producing thunderstorms, and [when] we talk about wind shear, we talk about two factors,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. Those factors are wind speed and changing wind direction. “Increasing wind speed with height — that adds the energy,” Rayno explained. “The changing wind direction with height is what causes the thunderstorm to rotate, which causes the funnel cloud, which causes the tornado.” Other components needed for a tornado are lift, moisture and instability — all of which must be able to support long-lasting supercells for an outbreak to occur. These conditions are typically found in the central and southeastern U.S., and when they are present over a large area, they can produce a tornado outbreak.
Very large hail fell across Oklahoma on Saturday as a potent severe storm moved across the state. Hail of at least baseball size -- 2.75 inches in diameter -- was reported in Beaver County, Oklahoma, late Saturday evening. Hail as large as 3 inches was reported near Floris, Oklahoma. Hail the size of ping pong balls -- 1.5 inches -- was reported in nearby states throughout the day such as in Louisiana and Texas.
A tornado warning (in red) was issued late Friday evening for areas just northeast of Wichita, Kansas. The general area remains under a severe thunderstorm warning (in orange) and a severe thunderstorm watch (in yellow). As these powerful storms blasted through the region, a wind gust to 62 knots (71 mph) occurred at Wichita's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. Numerous additional wind gusts over 60 mph have already been observed within these thunderstorms.
Wind gusts associated with an area of storms across the Southeast have resulted in damage across multiple states. Trees were reported down near Pine Ridge, Mississippi, late Saturday afternoon. In Jackson, Louisiana, shingles were blown off roofs of homes in a subdivision. Trees were also reported down in Baker, Louisiana, and Glade, Mississippi.
At least 320,000 customers are without power across the Southeast following significant storms in the area, according to PowerOutage.US. In Louisiana, more than 130,000 customers were without power as of Saturday night -- most from the northwest portion of the state. More than half of customers in Caddo Parish, the northwest most parish in the state, were without power. In Texas, more than 120,000 were without power -- mostly in the far eastern portion of the state. More than 75 percent of customers in Marion and Harrison Counties were without power as of Saturday night.
At least five tornadoes were reported in Alabama and Texas on Saturday, according to The National Weather Service. The first tornado report in Alabama occurred near Elsanor in Baldwin County just after 4:30 p.m. CDT. Another tornado was reported shortly after near Seminole, Alabama, where debris on Interstate 10 eastbound was spotted by ALGO traffic. In Texas, a tornado was spotted near Red Bluff Crossing and Hitson on Thursday evening.
Funnel cloud in Beaver County, Oklahoma, on Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Tony Laubach)
Tornado watch: This means you are “watching” for something to happen. Usually issued a few hours before severe storms could hit a broad area. A watch is used to alert the public of a developing threat for tornadoes where conditions exist for creating tornadoes, but one has not necessarily formed yet. When under a watch, it is important to be prepared and remain vigilant.
Tornado warning: This means forecasters are “warning” you to take action and seek shelter immediately. It is more urgent than a tornado watch. Warnings are issued minutes before a tornado strikes a highly localized area. A tornado is imminent or has been detected on radar.
A simple way to remember the difference between both is using the taco analogy. A watch means the ingredients to make tacos are there, but the taco has not been made yet. A warning means the tacos have been made and are ready right now. Eating them is coming very soon.
Several large hail reports have already been recorded across the Southeast through Saturday evening. A 2.75 inch hail report -- equivalent to baseball-size -- was recorded near Roberts, Alabama. In Mississippi, hail of 1.75 inch diameter was recorded in Wayne and Jonathan County. The largest hail report in Florida as of Saturday evening was near Altha, with 1 inch hail.
Multiple severe thunderstorm watches are currently in effect across the central and southern United States. The west-most watch includes much of southeastern Colorado and is in effect until 8 p.m. MDT. Two additional severe thunderstorm watches are in effect until 10:00 p.m. CDT and include North Texas, southwestern Oklahoma, western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. An additional watch is in effect for portions of eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle.
AccuWeather meteorologists warn a severe thunderstorm complex will form on the northern edge of a hot and humid air mass across portions of the southern Plains on Saturday. Forecasters have highlighted a moderate risk zone from southern Kansas, across much of Oklahoma, northern Texas to Arkansas and the southwestern corner of Missouri. An additional moderate risk zone has been placed along the Gulf Coast of eastern Mississippi, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. A high risk was placed across a large portion of Oklahoma. The main threats from these storms will include localized flash flooding, hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes. An AccuWeather Local StorrmMax™ of 100 mph is possible in the strongest storms.
When a tornado hits, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. This database shows tornado shelters open to anyone, color-coded by accessibility standards, building type, capacity and other details. People sheltering in mobile homes are 15 to 20 times more likely to be killed in a tornado than those sheltering in site-built homes, so experts recommend residents should have an emergency plan to find the closest community shelter. While sheltering in a foundation-based home, experts recommend the DUCK acronym - get DOWN to the lowest level, get UNDER something sturdy, COVER your head and KEEP in a shelter until the storm has passed. If severe weather strikes while driving, experts recommend seeking shelter in a building if possible and avoiding sheltering under an overpass, as debris can be funneled by high winds and become dangerous projectiles. If finding a structure isn’t possible, drivers should stay in their cars with their seatbelts on, get as low as possible and protect their heads. Consult the database here for further details on tornado shelters.
With severe weather in the forecast, it is important to understand and prepare for the risks that are inbound. These are five tips that can help you and your family prepare in advance:
• Shelter safety: What to look for: It is important to make sure the storm shelter is safe and provides an escape if the door is blocked by potential debris.
• Access to shelter and supplies: Having a storm shelter that cannot be accessed effectively defeats the purpose of having one at all. Shelters should be as easily accessible as possible.
• Security and restoration planning: If doors and windows are shattered and missing, securing the property quickly is essential. Making sure the property is structurally sound and having a repair company in mind should be planned before the severe weather.
• Insurance and financial protection: Consumers should look at the types of disasters their area may be prone to, to determine if they have the proper coverage in place.
• Protecting irreplaceable property with sentimental value: Some items may never be able to be replaced after a disaster. For these items, it is a good idea to take preventative measures to protect personal possessions that hold sentimental value.
