HAZARDOUS WEATHER UPDATE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
9:00 PM CDT/EST (10 PM EDT) FRI MAY 2 1997

...A STRONG SPRING STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO SPAWN SEVERE WEATHER FROM LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...

A VIGOROUS AND POTENT SPRING STORM SYSTEM CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI CONTINUES TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. AND INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY.  A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS VERY ACTIVE FROM NORTHERN GEORGIA SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA, NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI, INTO EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS.  AS THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES EASTWARD THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE INTO THE MISSOURI AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS TONIGHT.  SIGNIFICANT SOUTHERLY WINDS IN ADVANCE OF THIS STORM HAS RESULTED IN A LARGE AREA OF WARM AND MOIST AIR ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.  THIS COMBINATION OF A STRONG STORM MOVING INTO A LARGE AREA OF WARM AND MOIST LOW LEVEL AIR IS IDEAL FOR SUSTAINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

THE SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO THE MORNING HOURS.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL GREATER THAN 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER, DAMAGING WIND GUSTS NEAR 80 MPH, FREQUENT TO CONSTANT LIGHTNING, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES.

CURRENTLY, A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS FROM NORTHERN GEORGIA, ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA, NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI, INTO NORTHERN LOUISIANA AND EAST CENTRAL TEXAS.  ANOTHER AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY INTO MIDDLE AND WESTERN TENNESSEE AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS.  A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PERSISTED ACROSS EASTERN AND NORTHERN MISSOURI DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE STORM CENTER.

ACTIVITY BEHIND THE STORM SYSTEM HAS DECREASED WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING, AND THE ACTIVITY ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HAS DIMINISHED GREATLY.  THEREFORE, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, ILLINOIS, AND OKLAHOMA WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN FUTURE UPDATES WITH THIS SEQUENCE.

TORNADO WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND EARLY TOMORROW MORNING UNTIL 2:00 AM CDT/3:00 AM EDT ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA.  A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS POSTED UNTIL 1:00 AM TOMORROW FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.  THE TORNADO WATCHES ISSUED FOR MOST OF ARKANSAS AND NORTHERN LOUISIANA REMAIN VALID UNTIL 11:00 PM CDT TONIGHT.  ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW FOR THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WARNINGS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. AND GULF COAST STATES.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR NORTHWEST LOUISIANA AND A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9:30 PM CDT FOR A FEW COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND WEST KENTUCKY.  A FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 11:40 PM CDT.  RAINFALL ESTIMATES ARE RANGING FROM 2.5 TO MORE THAN 5 INCHES.

SOME SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS FROM THIS EVENING INCLUDE TORNADOES AT:

              GOODWILL, LA            4:45 PM CDT
              AMORY, MS                6:30 PM CDT
              BELZONI, MS              6:45 PM CDT

THE TORNADO IN BELZONI, MS CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO A CAR DEALERSHIP NEAR DOWNTOWN AND A GRAIN COMPLEX WAS REPORTED TO BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

LARGE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:

              PLEASANTON, IA          2.00 INCH HAIL
             
              MONTICELLO, AR          1.75 INCH HAIL
              FORT SMITH, AR          1.75 INCH HAIL
              PANTHER BURN, MS        1.75 INCH HAIL
              FRENCH CAMP, MS          1.75 INCH HAIL
             
              POWERSVILLE, MO          1.25 INCH HAIL
              ANGUILLA, MS            1.25 INCH HAIL
              BELZONI, MS              1.25 INCH HAIL
             
              CHARLESTON, AR          1.00 INCH HAIL
              FLAT ROCK, AR            1.00 INCH HAIL
              SPRINGFIELD, MO          1.00 INCH HAIL
              POWHATAN, LA            1.00 INCH HAIL
              MORO, AR                1.00 INCH HAIL

LIGHTNING ALSO CAUSE FIRES AT A FUNERAL HOME IN BELMONT, MS AND ANOTHER FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A LIGHTNING STRIKE AT A CHURCH IN BURNSVILLE, MS.  WIND DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED ACROSS TENNESSEE, ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, AND MISSISSIPPI.

FOR MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER SITUATION REFER TO THE LATEST ISSUANCES FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES.

THIS IS THE 10TH HAZARDOUS WEATHER UPDATE ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT. THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BEFORE 12:00 PM CDT/EST (1:00 AM EDT SATURDAY).

..VAN SPEYBROECK..