A potentially extremely dangerous day is possible today throughout portions of the central US. This follows after a damaging tornado occurred yesterday near St Libory Nebraska, where two homes were destroyed.
Today, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Moderate, with EF2-3+ tornadoes likely. Within this moderate risk, they have issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch, in portions of northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska. Some big cities included in this watch are Salina and Manhattan Kansas. On this watch, there’s an 80% chance of 2 or more tornadoes, and an 80% chance of at least 1 significant tornado (EF2+). Not only are tornadoes a massive concern, there’s also a very good risk for hail exceeding 4+ inches in diameter, around the size of a softball. In the mesoscale discussion posted before the watch was issued, it was stated that “A favorable environment for all severe hazards–including very-large/giant hail and strong to intense tornadoes–will develop through the afternoon.”
Along with the moderate risk, there are also active fires located in southern California, along with an extremely critical fire risk in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, portions of far east New Mexico, and far southwestern Kansas. The Sandy Fire, located just south of Simi Valley, California, has burned as of writing, 139 acres. An Evacuation order is in place for Simi Valley zones 32, 33, 34, and 35, all being in the Go phase. Zones Simi Valley 31, Thousand Oaks 06 and 07, are all in the Set phase. Simi Valley is also the location of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which is just outside of zone Simi Valley 31.
The Faytuks Weather team will be monitoring all of these threats throughout the rest of the day and update as needed.
