Dangerous Overnight Tornado Outbreak Threatens the Southern US

Written by Team Morecast

 

An extremely dangerous outbreak of severe storms, including tornadoes, will threaten the southern U.S. late on Easter Sunday through early Monday. Tornadoes and other severe hazards are particularly deadly when they occur at night due to poor visibility and the fact that many people are asleep. Keep your sources of emergency information close at hand and be prepared to seek shelter if necessary!

 

 

A strong upper level trough is pivoting out of the southwest U.S. tonight. Severe storms have already broken out over portions of west Texas with large hail and isolated tornadoes. The system will encounter rich moisture from the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, fueling more and stronger supercell thunderstorms, especially later in the afternoon into the evening. Unfortunately, the best combination of strong upper level winds and moist instability will come together on Sunday evening over portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, western Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. Deadly tornadoes and damaging hail up to three inches (7.5 cm) in diameter will occur in this region. The supercells will likely consolidate into a squall line that will race into the southeast Monday morning. Here the most widespread threat will be destructive straight-line winds up to 80 mph (130 kph), although isolated tornadoes and large hail may still occur. Major cities in the path of these severe cells include Jackson, MS, Memphis, TN, Atlanta, GA, and Columbia, SC.

 

Deadly Cyclone Harold Ravaging the Islands of Vanuatu

Written by Team Morecast

 

Cyclone Harold intensified rapidly on Sunday just west of the archipelago nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Harold is now a severe Category Four storm producing destructive winds up to 270 kph along with a deadly storm surge and flooding rains. The cyclone has made landfall over the largest of Vanuatu’s islands, Espirito Santu, as of Monday morning local time. The eyewall will be lashing the city of Luganville in the midday hours.

 

 

Officials have lifted pandemic-related restrictions on large numbers of people gathering together to allow residents to seek refuge in regional evacuation centers. Some natives have even adopted the sheltering ways of their ancestors, hiding in mountain caves. Most residents can easily recall one of the worst natural disasters to ever strike Vanuatu, Cyclone Pam, just five years ago. Pam was bit stronger than Harold, a Category Five with winds up to 300 kph. However, Harold is on track to affect more of the larger islands and population centers. It’s also moving more slowly, prolonging the period of dangerous conditions. Social media posts indicate significant damage has already occurred in Luganville, a city of more than 16,000, with the worst winds yet to come.

 

 

Harold will continue to move east-southeast with conditions improving on the islands of Vanuatu later Tuesday. There is a risk of significant impacts to the Fiji Islands later in the week, although some weakening is expected in the interim. Residents there should keep a close eye on Harold’s progress in the next few days and make appropriate preparations.

Deadly Tornadoes Tear Through U.S. State Of Tennessee

Written by Team Morecast

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, multiple tornadoes touched down across central Tennessee, leaving a trail of death and destruction. So far it has been reported that 25 people have been killed as a result of the twisters, but this number may rise as rescue workers comb through the carnage. This tornadic event is the deadliest in the United States since 23 people were killed in Alabama last March, and is the second deadliest in Tennessee history.

The tornadoes came through the region while most residents were still sleeping, making them even more dangerous. The perfect blend of atmospheric dynamics came together around 1 a.m. to produce these deadly monsters. Preliminary estimates by The National Weather Service gives the tornado that tore through Putnam, Benton, Wilson and Davidson Counties an EF-3 rating, which translates to winds up to 165 mph(266 kph). That tornado may have been on the ground for an hour, carving a path 50 miles(80 km) in length.

Among the areas affected by the tornadoes was the city of Nashville, which has a population of nearly 693,000. The tornado ripped right across the city’s downtown, flattening businesses, overturned tractor-trailors, and caused widespread damage. Public schools across Nashville were closed Tuesday while train service was suspended due to downed power lines across the tracks. 47,000 customers across Tennessee still remain without power, which is down from 73,000 earlier in the day. Tennessee governor Bill Lee declared a state of emergency, ensuring that the state will receive federal aid.

Record Flooding Swamps U.S. State of Mississippi

Written by Team Morecast

After months of relentless rains across the southern United States, significant flooding is underway throughout the region, with the state of Mississippi being the hardest hit. Particularly noteworthy is the flooding in and around Jackson, Mississippi. Here, the Pearl River has come over it’s banks, and has inundated large swaths of the city. On Monday the river crested at 36.67 feet(11 meters), which is the third highest crest ever recorded at that location.

According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, hundreds of homes have been damaged due to the flooding. Numerous water rescues have been performed by authorities as several feet of water lies above the streets. Many residents have turned to boats as the only reliable means of transportation. Reports of fish, and even alligators swimming in the flood waters have been quite common. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a State of Emergency over the weekend, while in neighboring Alabama, a State of Emergency was declared on Tuesday, ahead of forecasts for heavy rain there.

Mississippi is not the only state experiencing flooding. Many rivers, creeks, and streams across the South are at or above flood stage. Flooding along the Tennessee River in Tennessee was accompanied by landslides. This winter has been extremely wet across the South, and in many cases record amounts of rain have fallen. With more rain expected in the coming days, widespread flood watches are in place.