Severe weather peril prompts 1st March 'high-risk' threat since 2012
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 17, 2021 2:53 PM EDT
|
Updated Mar 18, 2021 7:37 AM EDT
AccuWeather forecasters continued to warn on Wednesday that a dangerous, multi-day severe weather outbreak was unfolding for a large part of the country with the likelihood for numerous violent and long-tracking tornadoes to touch down. Another factor that could add to the life-threatening nature of the eruption of damaging thunderstorms is the potential for severe weather dangers, including tornadoes, to continue well into the nighttime hours.
Soon after sunrise on Wednesday, the National Weather Service had issued a slew of tornado watches and warnings from northeastern Texas to northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee.
By Wednesday evening, nearly two dozen tornadoes had been reported from Missouri to Alabama causing property damage and disrupting the lives of millions across the region, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. Moundville, Alabama, located south of Tuscaloosa, was one of the hardest-hit communities on Wednesday afternoon with several buildings and homes being severely damaged by the storms.
More damaging storms continued into Wednesday night. The focus of the severe weather will shift to the Carolinas on Thursday.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a “high risk” outlook, which isn't an official warning in NWS parlance but amounts to one, for the severe weather potential across parts of northeastern Louisiana, far southeastern Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama into Wednesday night. That’s the highest level on the agency’s five-tier severe weather alert system — and it is reserved for days on which significant severe weather is expected.
Cities in the high-risk area include Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Hoover, Alabama, as well as Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi. The population in the high-risk area is more than 1.3 million, according to the SPC. It was also the first high-risk advisory to be declared during the month of March since 2012—or in nine years. The last time a high-risk area was predicted by the SPC was in May 2019.
All facets of severe weather are predicted, including large hail, flash flooding and frequent lightning strikes in addition to damaging straight-line wind gusts and tornadoes, into Thursday night.
"The level of risk for forecast severe weather and tornadoes depicted at midweek is something you may only see a handful of times in a lifetime," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, adding that in addition to unleashing all modes of severe weather, there's another aspect about this outbreak that has meteorologists particularly concerned: "Severe weather will be lingering long after sunset."
On Thursday, gusts of 70 mph will be possible. Roof damage, blown-out windows and crashing trees can be caused by fierce winds in lieu of tornadoes and for that reason, people should take severe thunderstorm warnings as seriously as tornado warnings.
The outbreak will put 22 states in the line of fire and more than 100 million Americans at risk.
A Wednesday, March 17, 2021, radar loop shows heavy rain and intense thunderstorms erupting over the south-central U.S. as shades of yellow and red. (AccuWeather)
In preparation for the outbreak, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the severe weather.
"This severe weather event, coupled with the COVID-19 public health emergency, poses extraordinary conditions of disaster and of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the State," the statement read.
The rural, wooded landscape and gentle hills in this part of the U.S. will make it challenging for people to spot approaching violent storms on the horizon during the daylight hours. Added dangers will be the risk that some of the storms will be hidden from view by torrential rain or the darkness of night -- a factor that AccuWeather forecasters said exemplified the importance of people heeding all warnings.
An additional complicating factor to the nocturnal and rain-wrapped tornado threat will be the potential for flash flooding during and prior to the violent thunderstorms.
While nocturnal tornadoes are particularly dangerous since they strike at night while most people are sleeping, the region of the country in the line of fire this week is no stranger to this life-threatening phenomenon.
"In parts of the south-central and southeastern United States, nighttime tornadoes are more common than in any other region of the nation," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll said.
A significant threat for severe thunderstorms will exist in the Southeast where more than 60 million people may be at risk from Thursday to Thursday evening.
From Thursday to Thursday night, the severe weather risk that includes the potential for multiple tornadoes into the first part of Thursday night is expected to stretch from part of the Ohio Valley through the southern Appalachians and the northeastern Gulf and a large part of the Atlantic coast.
Storms capable of producing large hail, torrential downpours, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes are forecast to flare up from northern Florida to southern Ohio, much of West Virginia, central Virginia, southeastern Maryland and southern Delaware into the first part of Thursday night.
One difference with the severe weather setup in the Southeast states on Thursday is the threat is likely to be a singular one associated with the advancing cold front, unlike the multiple severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that cropped up in parts of Mississippi and Alabama from Wednesday well ahead of the advancing cooler air.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Major cities at risk during part of Thursday include Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; and Tallahassee, Florida.
High water could block escape routes for some people in rural and suburban areas, making planning ahead of the severe weather event all the more pivotal, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
AccuWeather meteorologists stress that having a means to receive tornado warnings can make the difference between life and death. People have told AccuWeather that push notifications from the AccuWeather app "literally saved our lives" during a severe weather outbreak.
"It’s very important to have a way to get severe weather notifications at all times of the day, but especially at night," Doll added. "The AccuWeather app can help with this."
A battery-powered weather radio can also be kept on hand and set to a level loud enough to be a warning should storms approach at night, forecasters say.
People are urged to review their tornado safety plans, closely monitor the weather on a daily basis this week and have a means to receive severe weather watches and warnings as they are issued. Flashlights should be in working order and generators fueled in case of power outages.
Storms that hit Tuesday night produced at least 70 incidents of severe weather and included only one report of a tornado but more than 40 incidents of large hail and nearly 30 incidents of high winds.
On Tuesday evening, Texas Governor Greg Abbott placed resources on standby in preparation for the onslaught of severe weather. "With heavy rain, high winds and blizzard conditions expected in parts of the state overnight, Texas should be cautious of flood risks and potential damage from this weather event," Abbott said in a press release.
AccuWeather's team of expert meteorologists will be constantly monitoring the forecast and severe weather setup throughout the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Severe weather peril prompts 1st March 'high-risk' threat since 2012
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 17, 2021 2:53 PM EDT | Updated Mar 18, 2021 7:37 AM EDT
AccuWeather forecasters continued to warn on Wednesday that a dangerous, multi-day severe weather outbreak was unfolding for a large part of the country with the likelihood for numerous violent and long-tracking tornadoes to touch down. Another factor that could add to the life-threatening nature of the eruption of damaging thunderstorms is the potential for severe weather dangers, including tornadoes, to continue well into the nighttime hours.
Soon after sunrise on Wednesday, the National Weather Service had issued a slew of tornado watches and warnings from northeastern Texas to northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee.
By Wednesday evening, nearly two dozen tornadoes had been reported from Missouri to Alabama causing property damage and disrupting the lives of millions across the region, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. Moundville, Alabama, located south of Tuscaloosa, was one of the hardest-hit communities on Wednesday afternoon with several buildings and homes being severely damaged by the storms.
More damaging storms continued into Wednesday night. The focus of the severe weather will shift to the Carolinas on Thursday.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a “high risk” outlook, which isn't an official warning in NWS parlance but amounts to one, for the severe weather potential across parts of northeastern Louisiana, far southeastern Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama into Wednesday night. That’s the highest level on the agency’s five-tier severe weather alert system — and it is reserved for days on which significant severe weather is expected.
Cities in the high-risk area include Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Hoover, Alabama, as well as Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi. The population in the high-risk area is more than 1.3 million, according to the SPC. It was also the first high-risk advisory to be declared during the month of March since 2012—or in nine years. The last time a high-risk area was predicted by the SPC was in May 2019.
All facets of severe weather are predicted, including large hail, flash flooding and frequent lightning strikes in addition to damaging straight-line wind gusts and tornadoes, into Thursday night.
"The level of risk for forecast severe weather and tornadoes depicted at midweek is something you may only see a handful of times in a lifetime," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, adding that in addition to unleashing all modes of severe weather, there's another aspect about this outbreak that has meteorologists particularly concerned: "Severe weather will be lingering long after sunset."
On Thursday, gusts of 70 mph will be possible. Roof damage, blown-out windows and crashing trees can be caused by fierce winds in lieu of tornadoes and for that reason, people should take severe thunderstorm warnings as seriously as tornado warnings.
The outbreak will put 22 states in the line of fire and more than 100 million Americans at risk.
A Wednesday, March 17, 2021, radar loop shows heavy rain and intense thunderstorms erupting over the south-central U.S. as shades of yellow and red. (AccuWeather)
In preparation for the outbreak, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the severe weather.
"This severe weather event, coupled with the COVID-19 public health emergency, poses extraordinary conditions of disaster and of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the State," the statement read.
The rural, wooded landscape and gentle hills in this part of the U.S. will make it challenging for people to spot approaching violent storms on the horizon during the daylight hours. Added dangers will be the risk that some of the storms will be hidden from view by torrential rain or the darkness of night -- a factor that AccuWeather forecasters said exemplified the importance of people heeding all warnings.
An additional complicating factor to the nocturnal and rain-wrapped tornado threat will be the potential for flash flooding during and prior to the violent thunderstorms.
While nocturnal tornadoes are particularly dangerous since they strike at night while most people are sleeping, the region of the country in the line of fire this week is no stranger to this life-threatening phenomenon.
"In parts of the south-central and southeastern United States, nighttime tornadoes are more common than in any other region of the nation," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll said.
A significant threat for severe thunderstorms will exist in the Southeast where more than 60 million people may be at risk from Thursday to Thursday evening.
From Thursday to Thursday night, the severe weather risk that includes the potential for multiple tornadoes into the first part of Thursday night is expected to stretch from part of the Ohio Valley through the southern Appalachians and the northeastern Gulf and a large part of the Atlantic coast.
Storms capable of producing large hail, torrential downpours, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes are forecast to flare up from northern Florida to southern Ohio, much of West Virginia, central Virginia, southeastern Maryland and southern Delaware into the first part of Thursday night.
One difference with the severe weather setup in the Southeast states on Thursday is the threat is likely to be a singular one associated with the advancing cold front, unlike the multiple severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that cropped up in parts of Mississippi and Alabama from Wednesday well ahead of the advancing cooler air.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Major cities at risk during part of Thursday include Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; and Tallahassee, Florida.
High water could block escape routes for some people in rural and suburban areas, making planning ahead of the severe weather event all the more pivotal, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
AccuWeather meteorologists stress that having a means to receive tornado warnings can make the difference between life and death. People have told AccuWeather that push notifications from the AccuWeather app "literally saved our lives" during a severe weather outbreak.
"It’s very important to have a way to get severe weather notifications at all times of the day, but especially at night," Doll added. "The AccuWeather app can help with this."
A battery-powered weather radio can also be kept on hand and set to a level loud enough to be a warning should storms approach at night, forecasters say.
Related:
People are urged to review their tornado safety plans, closely monitor the weather on a daily basis this week and have a means to receive severe weather watches and warnings as they are issued. Flashlights should be in working order and generators fueled in case of power outages.
Storms that hit Tuesday night produced at least 70 incidents of severe weather and included only one report of a tornado but more than 40 incidents of large hail and nearly 30 incidents of high winds.
On Tuesday evening, Texas Governor Greg Abbott placed resources on standby in preparation for the onslaught of severe weather. "With heavy rain, high winds and blizzard conditions expected in parts of the state overnight, Texas should be cautious of flood risks and potential damage from this weather event," Abbott said in a press release.
AccuWeather's team of expert meteorologists will be constantly monitoring the forecast and severe weather setup throughout the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo