Update to Today's Tornado Risk

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While it is not a time to worry, right now is a time to prepare. 
The NWS SPC has modified its tornado forecast in a slight, but important, way. The yellow area, an "enhanced risk of tornadoes, some may be strong," has been pulled slightly farther to the west. I agree with this modification and I might have moved it all the way to the Mississippi River in northern Mississippi but that is just a minor quibble. The enhanced risk area now includes Memphis, part of the Missouri Bootheel, and just kisses Nashville. If temperatures warm sufficiently, this could be a bad day.

There is a chance of strong, fast-moving tornadoes in this area plus a lesser, but still significant, chance of a tornado or two in the brown area.

What do you do now?
  • Turn your television on to a trusted meteorologist and leave it there. Don't channel-hop. That might cause you to miss essential information. 
  • Turn on your NOAA Weather Radio.
  • Make sure you have a smartphone app like AccuWeather's that senses your GPS location and provides tornado warning for your specific location. 
  • Clear out your shelter or other safe space.
  • Make sure you are wearing shoes and have a way to protect your head.
  • Now, put your car in the garage along with any items that can be blown about.
  • Make sure friends and family are aware of the threat. 
Note: while weather is no longer the primary thrust of this blog, I do want to cover these early-season major risk situations.

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