The worst of the harsh climate is likely to extend from parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley to Alabama, with several rounds of thunderstorms possible in parts of Mississippi and Alabama from Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, according to Storm Prediction Center.
The center is warning of “high risk” for severe weather – a category level that is not considered lightly and used on average only once or twice a year. There were no “high risk” days in 2020. The last one was in May 2019.
About 11 million Americans in the region are at increased risk for long-term tornadoes on Wednesday, said CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama,
warned that “strong to violent tornadoes are expected.” Some areas are at high risk for violent long-haul tornadoes, damaging winds of more than 80 mph, as well as hailstones the size of a tennis ball, the service
said.
Long-haul tornadoes are those that remain consistently in the ground for a long period of time, as opposed to a typical tornado that could remain in the ground for just a few minutes.
Alabama Emergency Management Agency
warned storms can be a “dangerous and life-threatening event”.
In response to the prediction, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency, stating in a statement that she did so “just in case”.
“Projections show that this is likely to be a widespread event, with some of the most severe weather conditions expected on Wednesday night to early Thursday morning,” Ivey said in a statement.
“Please make preparations now, in case your area is affected in any way. I will continue to monitor the system and encourage all Alabamians to do the same,” added the governor.
Other officials have also asked state residents to prepare for Tuesday.
“Make sure you have several ways to receive warnings”, the weather service on Mobile
wrote on Twitter. “Also have a plan for a safe place to go if a warning is issued. Please DO NOT focus on the exact level of risk. Everyone in the region needs to be prepared for a significant severe weather!”
CNN’s Dave Alsup, Jackson Dill and Jennifer Gray contributed to this report.
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