Tornado Warning

6:57 AM - Boy, not a dull moment this morning or last night. If you are in the path of this, whether you are near Fyffe or Rainsville or Lakeview or up towards Fort Payne, please get to your safe place and stay there until this threat has passed. 

Small central room on the lowest floor of a sturdy house, and if you can, cover your body in some way, especially your head. 

7 AM - These are the parts of the squall line still thought to be severe. Damaging winds are expected in Marshall, Blount, and Etowah Counties as well. You see the yellow polygons there. But the red polygon is the part in Dekalb County most likely to spin up a tornado. 

Doubt I've got any readers in Cherokee County, but if you live there, you want to monitor this storm/line of storms coming out of Dekalb County. Even if the rotation weakens, the threat for damaging winds is significant. 

7:03 - The rotation is really broad at this point, but that's the way it can go with squall lines. Still respect the warning and the threat. It can tighten back up on the next radar scan sometimes too. 

7:06 - A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been posted for Dekalb County now, just about the whole county, goes until 7:30 AM CDT. Within the text of that warning, they mention that a tornado is also possible, could develop quickly. That is probably the best approach when you have these brief rotations that come and go in squall lines. They can be challenging. 

The Tornado Warning expires in about five minutes. 

7:10 - Cherokee and Northern Calhoun Counties are now included in the Severe Thunderstorm Warning, new polygon issued for them. It also mentions that a tornado could quickly develop in this squall line. By the way, I saw where a tree fell on a house in Hartselle. And there was some debris in the road in Fayette from earlier. So whether we've had any tornadoes or not, these storms have meant business tonight/this morning. 

7:22 - Things are winding down overall, but Eastern Dekalb County is still under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. And I would respect the threat for damaging winds there, stay in a good safe place until the squall line passes. 

7:38 - Basically all of North Alabama has been cleared from the watch now. Severe thunderstorms are ongoing in Etowah and Cherokee Counties, but I'll hand them off to Birmingham bloggers. 

We do have a flood warning for Indian Creek in Madison County, but other than that, no more severe weather for us in North Alabama, the counties this blog usually looks out for. 

I didn't even realize this weekend was St. Patrick's Day. If you pinch somebody, make it interesting. After the past several years, I'd probably be amused if a random stranger pinched the seat of my pants, sort of like I find it funny when Salem attacks my hand with his teeth as a way to ask for more food. I only make him stop when he starts with the claws majorly. Or if he wakes me up that way, I don't take kindly to that . . . anyway silly holiday, but I'm all for anything that lightens the mood these days and is just for fun and harmless. Some of those tornadoes in the Ohio Valley and I think Midwest or maybe it was Mid-South last night and yesterday were anything but harmless. I think it was a tornado in Ohio has already been described as a mass casualty incident. 

Going to post a bare bones forecast discussion before logging off. 

Tornado Warning

ALC049-151215-

/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0003.240315T1152Z-240315T1215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

Tornado Warning

National Weather Service Huntsville AL

652 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024

The National Weather Service in Huntsville Alabama has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...

  Southern DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama...

* Until 715 AM CDT.

* At 652 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

  was located near Fyffe, or 8 miles southwest of Rainsville, moving

  east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.

           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree

           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...

  Rainsville and Fyffe around 655 AM CDT.

  Fort Payne around 705 AM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Pine

Ridge, Lebanon, Lakeview, Dog Town, Collbran, Guest, Adamsburg, Peeks

Corner, Desoto State Park, and Chigger Hill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest

floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a

mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter

and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3448 8558 3447 8557 3444 8558 3437 8563

      3436 8566 3426 8577 3426 8581 3424 8581

      3424 8585 3439 8606 3449 8598 3451 8595

      3450 8556

TIME...MOT...LOC 1152Z 281DEG 34KT 3443 8597

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED

MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

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