Weather: HIGH RISK of severe storms today

Posted: April 14, 2012 - 6:13am
Updated: April 14, 2012 - 4:20pm

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma has stuck with their earlier prediction of "Life-Threatening High Risk" of severe weather for Saturday.

SPC forecast for severe weather potential Saturday, April 14, 2012
Click map to view larger

The highest risk area for severe weather today is across most of central and eastern Nebraska, parts of north central Kansas and western Iowa. There is also a high risk for later this afternoon and evening for parts of south central Kansas and north central Oklahoma.

Areas included in the "Moderate Risk" include the remainder of central and eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, northwestern Missouri, central and eastern Kansas, along with parts of northern and central Oklahoma.

A slight risk area includes a large portion of the central and southern plains, from Texas north to southern parts of Minnesota and South Dakota.

Maps: Areas within the black hatching are considered the most likely areas for the activity to occur.

SPC forecast of tornado potential Saturday, April 14, 2012
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SPC forecast of damaging wind potential Saturday, April 14, 2012
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SPC forecast of hail potential Saturday, April 14, 2012
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The SPC predicts that weather conditions should be favorable for "supporting long-lived supercells capable of producing strong tornadoes" for areas of Kansas, Oklahoma and stretching into north central and northwestern Texas. Forecasters also warn of the potential for strong wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour and very large hail of 2 inches in diameter or greater.

Anyone living within this region should insure that they have a way to receive severe weather warnings late Saturday afternoon and into the overnight hours, including while they are asleep. Please do not rely solely on outdoor warning sirens. 


Remember to charge cell phones in advance of the storm. After the storm remember that using text messaging and social media is much easier on wireless (cell phone) networks. Wireless calling consumes more bandwidth than text messaging. Using a wireless call for a non-emergency conversation may be enough to keep someone who needs emergency assistance from easily accessing 911 to get the help they need. If you are not in immediate danger please consider using text messaging or social media to inform family and friends that you are safe. 

Those located within the predicted areas are encouraged to stay tuned to local media and/or NOAA Weather Radios and have a safety plan in place as this is a potentially deadly situation.

Outdoor warning sirens are intended to provide tornado warnings only for those who are outdoors. Outdoor sirens may not wake you in the night and alert you of approaching severe weather. A NOAA Weather Radio can alert you to severe storms. NOAA Weather Radios are received from the National Weather Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee (MEMC) partnered with Midland Radio and Price Chopper, launched Project Community Alert (PCA) in 2002, to offer NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radio Receivers to the public at-cost. More information on NOAA Weather Radios and Project Community Alert.

More information on Tornado Safety can be found here from the National Weather Service.

More information on Severe Weather from the 2012 Severe Weather Awareness packet . 

NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio Stations throughout Kansas
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Outdoor Warning Siren locations and coverage areas in Johnson County
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View a map of Douglas County, Kansas' outdoor warning siren locations here. Map will open a new window in PDF format.

All information provided by the Storm Prediction Center (Norman, Oklahoma), the National Weather Service offices (Pleasant Hill, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas), the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (Topeka, Kansas), Johnson County Emergency Management (Olathe, Kansas), and Douglas County Emergency Management (Lawrence, Kansas)

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Weather: Violent tornado outbreak likely this weekend

Posted: April 13, 2012 - 3:43am

Updated: April 13, 2012 - 4:18am

This is not something that I normally report on but, I believe this is going to be significant enough that an early heads up will be useful.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma has issued a "High Risk" of severe weather for their Day 2 (Saturday) forecast period. This is an extremely rare occurrence for the SPC to issue a "High Risk" in a Day 2 forecast.

Maps:

SPC forecast for Severe Weather potential Saturday, April 14, 2012
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SPC forecast probability outlook for Saturday, April 14, 2012
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Anyone living within the black hatched areas, of the second map, should expect severe weather Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.

The SPC warns of the potential for; very large hail of 2 inches in diameter or greater, strong wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour, and potentially long track tornadoes. This includes areas of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. The highest risk areas are expected to be along Interstate 35 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma extending north to near Salina, Kansas. Wichita, Kansas is also within the highest risk area. Areas of Kansas between Salina and Kansas City should be prepared for the approaching storms. This includes Lawrence, Emporia, Ottawa, and the Kansas City area.

Storms are expected to begin in the area by late afternoon Saturday and last through the evening and overnight hours as they move East/Northeast. The storms are expected to maintain their severe potential after dark, making this storm especially dangerous.

Anyone living within this region should insure that they have a way to receive severe weather warnings late Saturday afternoon and into the overnight hours, including while they are asleep. Please do not rely solely on outdoor warning sirens. 

Those located within the predicted areas are encouraged to stay tuned to local media and have a safety plan in place as this is a potentially deadly situation.

Outdoor warning sirens are intended to provide tornado warnings only for those who are outdoors. Outdoor sirens may not wake you in the night and alert you of approaching severe weather. A NOAA Weather Radio can alert you to severe storms. NOAA Weather Radios are received from the National Weather Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee (MEMC) partnered with Midland Radio and Price Chopper, launched Project Community Alert (PCA) in 2002, to offer NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radio Receivers to the public at-cost. More information on NOAA Weather Radios and Project Community Alert.

More information on Tornado Safety can be found here from the National Weather Service.

More information on Severe Weather from the 2012 Severe Weather Awareness packet . 

NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio Stations throughout Kansas
Click to view full size

Outdoor Warning Siren locations and coverage areas in Johnson County
Click to view full size

All information provided by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill, Missouri and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Attention News Media LINK

All comments on posted content are moderated. Inappropriate and/or abusive comments will not be published.
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Downed power line likely cause of overnight house fire in Overland Park

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Courtesy OPFD Media Manager - Jason Rhodes

The Overland Park Fire Department is estimating damages of $70,000 after a downed power line started an Overland Park home on fire.

Fire crews from Overland Park, Leawood and Consolidated Fire District No. 2 were dispatched to the 8200 block of Hemlock Street just before 1 a.m. this morning. Crews were across the street investigating a possible electrical problem inside a neighbors home. While investigating that someone noticed smoke from this house. A neighbor alerted and evacuated the residents. Fire crews found a downed power line in the backyard. Further investigation led firefighters to the attic where they found significant fire.

Click photo to view full size
Courtesy OPFD Media Manager - Jason Rhodes

The fire was contained to approximately one half of the house near the garage. A statement released this morning by the Overland Park Fire Department states that when the power arced a fire is believed to have started in a wall which then spread into the attic.


No injuries were reported.