The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a tornado watch for parts of five southeastern states, citing forecasts of a “severe thunderstorm” in the area on Sunday.
The warning applies to much of northwestern Georgia, as well as parts of southern Tennessee, northwestern Florida, southern Mississippi, and southern and eastern Alabama.
Why It Matters
According to its website, the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch when “weather conditions could lead to the formation of severe storms and tornadoes.”
In this context, residents are advised to “be prepared” and “know your safe location.”
Additionally, they must “be ready to act quickly if a [tornado] warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching.”
What To Know
Alabama’s southern counties of Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia, Baldwin, and Mobile are under a tornado watch until 4 a.m. CST on Sunday.
The watch extends until 6 a.m. CST on Sunday for Barbour, Clay, Elmore, Macon, Randolph, Bullock, Cleburne, Lee, Montgomery, Russell, Chambers, Coosa, Lowndes, Pike, and Tallapoosa counties in central Alabama.
The tornado watch remains in effect for the Florida counties of Bay, Gadsden, Jackson, Liberty, Washington, Calhoun, Gulf, Jefferson, Wakulla, Franklin, Holmes, Leon, and Walton until 10 a.m. CST on Sunday.
The tornado watch extends to 59 counties in Georgia until 9 a.m. EST on Sunday, while Harrison and Jackson Counties in Mississippi are under a watch until 4 a.m. CST.
It is NWS policy to issue a “warning,” which has a higher degree of certainty than a “watch,” when “a tornado has been spotted or indicated by weather radar, meaning a tornado is occurring or expected soon.”
On Wednesday, a tornado ripped through parts of southeastern Mississippi, with footage from the area showing damaged houses, uprooted trees, and partially blocked roads.
According to local news outlet WDAM, some people were trapped in their homes as a result of the storm, and the Wayne County School District cancelled classes on Thursday. On Wednesday evening, the NWS advised anyone in the affected area to seek immediate shelter.
In late December, multiple tornadoes ripped through the Houston area of Texas, killing one person and injuring four in Brazoria County.
Tornadoes were also reported near El Campo in Wharton County and in Crosby, Harris County.
In November, a tornado struck near the town of Granite in southwestern Oklahoma, with the NWS warning of “golf ball”-sized hail.
What People Are Saying
On X, formerly Twitter, the NWS Atlanta branch posted early on Sunday morning: “Tornado Warning including Stockbridge GA, Conyers GA, and Covington GA until 5:15 AM EST.”
According to the NWS Tallahassee, Florida, branch, “A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia until 10 AM EST.”
On Saturday evening, the NWS office in Huntsville, Alabama, posted: “11:05 PM: Tornado warning in effect for portions of northwest Alabama.” Multiple areas of rotation have been detected on radar, and everyone in the warning should seek shelter! Tornadoes can form quickly in these storm lines, so do not wait until you see or hear one to seek shelter.
What Happens Next
The NWS will continue to monitor the tornado threat in the southeastern United States, and one or more tornado watches may be upgraded to tornado warnings if they believe a twister is imminent. Local residents are urged to monitor NWS updates and local weather forecasts, as well as any safety advice they may provide.