Severe weather spares areas across South rocked by twisters Wednesday, but more storms loom
A deadly severe weather event that ravaged parts of the Mississippi Valley with several tornadoes Wednesday took a bit of a pause on Thursday, briefly sparing the region from another day of devastation, though promising to rekindle the threat in the days ahead.
Where severe storms and flooding can be expected going into the weekend
Every day through Sunday will feature thunderstorms that could become strong to severe and help put down torrential rainfall.
NASHVILLE – A deadly severe weather event that ravaged parts of the Mississippi Valley with several tornadoes Wednesday took a bit of a pause on Thursday, briefly sparing the region from another day of devastation, though promising to rekindle the threat in the days ahead.
(FOX Weather)
The National Weather Service issued at least 20 Tornado Warnings Wednesday – a far cry from the nearly 300 Tornado Warnings that wailed across several states on Wednesday. So far, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center had received just one confirmed tornado report as of Thursday night, in southern Kentucky.
There were a few other scattered reports of tree and power line damage due to strong thunderstorms-triggered winds, but no reports of any significant damage or injuries.
LIVE STORM TRACKER: SEVERE WEATHER MAPS, FLOODING FORECASTS, RADARS AND MORE
Residents of Nashville endured a harrowing Wednesday night as a relentless barrage of Tornado Warnings swept through the city and surrounding areas of Middle Tennessee. The storms forced hotel guests at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to move to the basement in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday.
Footage by Mike Hockett shows dozens of people sheltering and making their way downstairs as tornado sirens sound.
"Stuck in Nashville for a third night after all flights to Chicago were canceled for weather, and now woken up at 3 a.m. for a tornado warning," Hockett captioned the footage. "All of us at the Gaylord Opryland moving into the basement."
Amidst multiple Tornado Warnings impacting Middle Tennessee, the governor has declared a state of emergency.
In Dickson County, troopers prioritized road clearing and checked for stranded drivers early Thursday morning as storms rolled through.
Tennessee State Troopers in Dickson County were actively working to clear roads and ensure the safety of motorists as multiple Tornado Warnings were in effect across Middle Tennessee.
(Tennessee Highway Patrol)
INJURIES REPORTED AFTER TORNADO STRIKES OUTSIDE POTOSI, MISSOURI
Strong severe weather threat returns farther west on Friday
(FOX Weather)
The severe weather threat ramps up again Friday, this time centered from the mid-Mississippi Valley into the southern Plains. The SPC has issued a level 4 out of 5 severe weather risk for portions of northeastern Texas and a large swath of Arkansas, including Little Rock and Texarkana. Strong tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are the primary threats.
A lower level 2 threat extends into Dallas to the south and up to Memphis and St. Louis to the northeast.
Severe weather threats drift east on Saturday, focusing a Level 3 threat in the lower Mississippi Valley but with strong storms and heavy rains again returning to western Tennessee and Kentucky – areas that remain under a dire high risk of flash flooding due to several inches of additional rain in the forecast.