5:35p Tornado and Derecho Update

Here are the regional radar images as of 5:25pm.

Color code:

• Maroon, small polygons = tornado warnings at that time. 
• Yellow county outlines  = tornado watches. 
• Blue county outlines = severe thunderstorm warning with gusts to 75mph and a lesser chance of tornadoes. 

We've received reports of "significant damage" in Perryton, Texas. Multiple tornadoes have already touched down. 

The derecho potential continues to be very serious with a reliable model continuing to forecast that it will produce at least a few peak gusts of 100 mph or even stronger -- meaning major, multi-day power outages.

Safety Recommendations:

For more, follow me on Twitter @usweatherexpert. 

If you would like to learn how the tornado and derecho warning system works, go here. 

Finally, I'm repeating the safety suggestions we have written about several times today:

• Call friends and relatives to make sure they are aware of the threat, especially if they live in a mobile home. 
• Make sure you have at least three ways of receiving storm warnings. 
• If you live in a mobile home, you may wish to move spend time with a friend or relative when a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch is issued. 
• Ask yourself what you would need if you were without electricity for five days. In some areas it will be longer, but five days is a good planning target.
• If you have a chain saw, fill it with fuel.
• Fill your generator with fuel and, if portable, make sure it is located a long way from air intakes such as your air conditioner. See instructions that came with the generator. 
• Check your tornado shelter. Make sure it has a couple of bottles of water and, if appropriate, diapers.
• Any essential foods or medicines should be taken care of immediately, well before the storms arrive. 
• Have all of your devices charged but disconnect when you see the first lightning or hear the first thunder.
• Keep the kids in close communication. 
• Bring in lawn furniture, trampolines or anything else that can blow away. 
• Put the car in the garage. 

I'll update in the mid- to late afternoon. 

Additional suggestions from Liz Leitman at SPC:

• Pick any ripe tomatoes. 
• Do laundry in case of extended power failures (quite likely in a derecho)
• Battery-operated fans for the same reason (it will be quite hot the next few days).

This will be the last blog forecast on these storms. I'll have hour-by-hour updates on Twitter. 

More severe thunderstorms likely on Friday and Saturday. Of course, I'll provide coverage tomorrow.