Rare 'high risk' warning issued: Central U.S. braces for 'significant' tornado outbreak
Forecasters issued dire warnings Monday for a significant tornado outbreak that’s expected in the central U.S. that could impact millions of people from Texas to the Dakotas.
“We are expecting a serious severe weather outbreak,” said Jennifer Thompson, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The outbreak of severe weather – with multiple strong, long-tracked tornadoes, large hail and severe thunderstorm gusts – “is expected over parts of the south-central Plains from this afternoon through evening,” the Storm Prediction Center said.
A tornado spins west of Hawley, Texas as cars pass on U.S. 277 Thursday May 2, 2024. Damage was reported in Hawley, with hail reported up to baseball size. (Via OlyDrop)
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The Center issued a rare “high risk” warning for portions of Oklahoma and Kansas, which included the Oklahoma City metro area. Such warnings are reserved only for the most serious severe weather days.
The forecast comes a week after a tornado outbreak killed four people in Oklahoma.
What is a ‘high risk’?
A high risk is the highest-tier hazardous weather forecast that the Storm Prediction Center issues.
This forecast is the first “high risk” since two were issued on March 31, 2023, said Matthew Elliott, warning coordination meteorologist for the center.
“We typically average only one or two a year,” Elliott said.
A ‘significant’ outbreak
“We’re really expecting this to be a significant outbreak of severe weather,” Elliott said, “with some long track, intense tornadoes certainly possible.”
High winds over portions of Colorado and the High Plains Monday morning are also related to the strong and strengthening low-pressure system expected to spawn tornadoes and hail later in the day.
“It’s very similar to what’s helping create the moisture across the Southern Plains that will lead to the severe weather this afternoon and evening,” Elliott said. “That’s why we see this potential for large hail, tornadoes and damaging winds.”
Preparations underway
Ahead of the storms, McConnell Air Force Base, near Wichita, Kansas, is relocating aircraft to remove them from harm’s way, CNN reported.
Also, schools across the danger zone were altering their schedules before the storms hit. Oklahoma City Public Schools and several metro-area school districts began canceling all after-school and evening activities, the Associated Press reported.
Contributing: Josh Dulaney, the Oklahoman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare ‘high risk’ warning issued: Central U.S. braces for ‘significant’ tornado outbreak