TODAY: At 10:00am, the SPC will issue a Test Tornado Watch for Iowa and Nebraska. At 10:10am, the
NWS offices in Sioux Falls and Omaha will issue test tornado warnings for their counties.
NWS Des Moines and Quad Cities will soon follow at 10:15pm and La Crosse at 10:20am. Around 10:30 am, all Iowa NWS offices will cancel their warnings and at 11:00am, the test tornado watch will expire and the tornado drills will be complete. If severe weather threatens on Wednesday – March 27th, the test will be conducted on Thursday – March 28th at the same time. Nebraska offices will issue tornado warnings for their Nebraska counties at a locally determined schedule.
Tornadoes are one of mother nature’s most deadliest storms. Last year, 500+ people died because of them. That number has actually been increasing, when it should be decreasing with knowledge of storms.
Tornadoes is a rapidly-rotating funnel that makes contact with the ground. However, the tornado does not need to appear to be causing damage if it does not cause damage. In fact, last year, the south had a tornado that did not officially touch the ground, but it made catastrophic damage.
Tornadoes have many different sizes and shapes, and usually produce less wind than 100 mph. However, some tornadoes do have the capability of becoming large and destructive, which is why you should always take shelter for any type of tornado. Some tornadoes down and back up in and instant, some are short lived, and some can stay down on the ground for an hour.
TORNADO WATCH: A tornado watch is issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma if they feel that Severe Weather is possible. Watches are usually issued 2-8 hours in advance, depending on how certain they are about the weather. If this is the case, be prepared to move to shelter if a warning is issued.
TORNADO WARNING: A tornado warning is issued by your local NWS office if: a. A tornado is being detected by radar or b. A tornado has been spotted. Sometimes it may be both. If this is the case, take shelter immediately!
TORNADO EMERGENCY: A Tornado Emergency (Tornado Warning) is not a new warning. This is a type of warning that is rare and only used if spotters indicate the tornado and have a history of being strong and violent. This type of warning was issued with the Tuscaloosa, Alabama tornadoes.