AccuWeather
Severe climate hazard indicates ‘high risk’ threat on March 1, 2012
AccuWeather meteorologists continued to warn on Wednesday that a severe, multi-day severe weather outbreak was unfolding across much of the country with the likelihood of numerous violent and long-lasting tornadoes landing. Another factor that can increase the potentially fatal nature of the outbreak of harmful storms is the potential for severe climatic hazards, including tornadoes, to continue into the wee hours of the night. Shortly after sunrise on Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a series of tornado warnings and warnings from northeastern Texas to northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. As of Wednesday night, nearly two dozen tornadoes were reported from Missouri to Alabama, causing property damage and disrupting the lives of millions across the region, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Moundville, Alabama, located south of Tuscaloosa, was one of the hardest hit communities on Wednesday afternoon, with several buildings and houses being severely damaged by storms. More damaging storms continued on Wednesday night. The focus of bad weather will shift to the Carolinas on Thursday. The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a “high risk” perspective, which is not an official warning in NWS jargon, but is equivalent to one, for the harsh climate potential in parts of northeastern Louisiana, far southeastern Arkansas. , Mississippi and Alabama until Wednesday night. This is the highest level in the agency’s five-level severe weather alert system – and is reserved for days when 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 recommendation to be declared during 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 the harsh climate are forecast, including frequent hail, floods and lightning, in addition to straight gusts and damaging tornadoes, until Thursday Friday night. “The level of risk for severe weather and tornadoes depicted in the middle of the week is something you will only see a handful of times in your life,” said AccuWeather chief meteorologist Bernie Rayno, adding that in addition to triggering all types In severe weather, there is another aspect of this outbreak that worries meteorologists particularly: “The bad weather will last long after sunset.” On Thursday, 70 mph bursts will be possible. Damage to the roof, broken windows, and breaking trees can be caused by violent winds in place of tornadoes, and for this reason, people should take severe storm warnings as seriously as tornado warnings. The outbreak will put 22 states in the firing line and more than 100 million Americans at risk. One Wednesday, March 17, 2021, the radar loop shows heavy rain and intense storms exploding over the south-central United States in 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 bad weather. “This severe climatic event, together with the public health emergency COVID-19, presents extraordinary conditions of disaster and extreme danger to the safety of people and properties within the state,” says the statement. The rural, wooded landscape and gentle hills in this part of the USA will make it a challenge for people to locate violent storms that approach the horizon during the day. Additional hazards will be the risk that some of the storms will be hidden from view by torrential rain or night darkness – a factor that AccuWeather meteorologists say exemplifies the importance of people taking heed of all warnings. An additional complicating factor for the threat of a tornado at night and surrounded by rain will be the potential for flooding during and before violent storms. While night tornadoes are particularly dangerous, as they strike at night while most people are asleep, the region of the country in the firing line this week is no stranger to this life-threatening phenomenon. “In parts of the south-central and southeastern United States, night tornadoes are more common than in any other region of the country,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Mike Doll. A significant threat from severe storms will exist in the Southeast, where more than 60 million people may be at risk from Thursday to Thursday night. From Thursday to Thursday night, the severe climate risk that includes the potential for several tornadoes in the first part of Thursday night is expected to extend from part of the Ohio Valley, through the southern and northeastern Appalachians to the Gulf and a large part the Atlantic coast. Storms capable of producing hail, torrential rain, gusts of wind and tornadoes are forecast to break out of northern Florida to southern Ohio, much of West Virginia, central Virginia, southeastern Maryland and southern Delaware in the first part of Thursday night. -market. One difference with the severe weather in the southeastern states on Thursday is that the threat is likely to be unique associated with the advance of the cold front, as opposed to the various storms and severe tornadoes that emerged in parts of Mississippi and Alabama on Wednesday as well. before. of the colder air advancing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE ACUWEATHER 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. Flooding can block escape routes for some people in rural and suburban areas, making advance planning even more important, warn AccuWeather forecasters. AccuWeather meteorologists emphasize that having a means of receiving tornado warnings can make the difference between life and death. People told AccuWeather that push notifications from the AccuWeather app “literally saved our lives” during a severe weather outbreak. “It is very important to have a way to receive notifications of severe weather conditions at all times of the day, but especially at night,” added Doll. “The AccuWeather app can help with that.” A battery-powered weather radio can also be kept close at hand and set at a level high enough to be a warning if storms are approaching at night, meteorologists say. People are encouraged to review their tornado safety plans, closely monitor the weather daily this week and have the means to receive alerts and bad weather alerts as soon as they are issued. The lanterns must be working and the generators must be powered in the event of a power failure. The storms that hit Tuesday night produced at least 70 incidents of bad weather and included only a tornado report, but more than 40 hail incidents and almost 30 high wind incidents. On Tuesday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott put resources on standby in preparation for the onslaught of bad weather. “With heavy rain, high winds and blizzard conditions expected in parts of the state overnight, Texas must be cautious of the risks of flooding 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 configuration of severe weather throughout the week. Keep visiting AccuWeather.com and stay connected to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios.