A major severe weather outbreak is ongoing across parts of Alabama and Mississippi. Overnight, 20 people were killed across the central part of the country and numerous damaging tornadoes have occurred across parts of Mississippi and Alabama today.
A Tornado Watch is in effect for Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, Towns, Walker, White, and Whitfield through 1AM EDT.
A Tornado Watch is in effect until 4AM for Bartow, Carroll, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clay, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Paulding, Pike, Polk, Quitman, Rockdale, Spalding, Stewart, Talbot, Troup, and Upson.
The Storm Prediction Center has removed the high risk, but a Moderate Risk (level 4/5) still exists over the the western parts of Georgia, with an enhanced risk (level 3/5) into the rest of North Georgia. This does remain a high-end Enhanced Risk with a “hatched” area for both tornadoes and damaging winds despite less instability than earlier expected. This hatched area is a region of enhanced risk for EF2+ tornadoes and/or thunderstorm wind gusts of 70MPH+.
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Looking to our west, storms have had a hard time maintaining strength due to excessive moisture flooding the warm sector of the storm system. There have been imbedded supercells across parts of east Birmingham in the past hour, but overall the threat has been underperforming this afternoon and evening compared to what the ceiling was. The latest models have this trend continuing through the overnight, generally lowering our local threat. With that said, this is still a very dynamic system and any embedded storms will have the ability to produce large swaths of damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. Some small hail is also possible. A Tornado Warning was issued earlier for part of Fannin County but thus far no damage has been reported.
The worst of the storms are expected to move through west to east from 11PM-4AM.
A Wind Advisory remains in effect for the entire region overnight as non-thunderstorm winds will remain gusty. Wind gusts of 30-40MPH are possible overnight even outside any storms.
A Flood Watch remains in effect for Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield Counties through Sunday morning. Flooding is possible across most of the region overnight, with heavy rain from the storms falling quickly to the tune of 1-2″. However, it will be most likely over the NW part of the state, where 2-4″ is possible.
Stay weather-aware today, and be sure to have a severe plan overnight.
