Tornado Watch 191

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 191 NWS
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1250 PM CDT SUN APR 26 2009 THE NWS
STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA PARTS OF NORTHWEST MISSOURI
PARTS OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING
FROM 1250 PM UNTIL 800 PM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY
ALONG AND 80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES WEST OF
FALLS CITY NEBRASKA TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT DODGE IOWA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU1). REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 189...WW 190...
DISCUSSION...WARM FRONT MOVING NWD THRU WRN IA/SERN NE AHEAD OF SURFACE WV
NEAR CNK. THIS PLACES WATCH AREA IN FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT
OF TORNADIC SUPERCELLS AS SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE QUITE STRONG IN WARM
SECTOR. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS
TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION
VECTOR 24035. IOWA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ADAIR ADAMS AUDUBON

BOONE BUTLER CALHOUN

CARROLL CASS CLARKE

CRAWFORD DALLAS DECATUR

FRANKLIN FREMONT GREENE

GRUNDY GUTHRIE HAMILTON

HARDIN HARRISON HUMBOLDT

JASPER MADISON MARSHALL

MILLS MONTGOMERY PAGE

POCAHONTAS POLK POTTAWATTAMIE

RINGGOLD SAC SHELBY

STORY TAYLOR UNION

WARREN WEBSTER WRIGHT

MISSOURI COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ANDREW ATCHISON GENTRY

HARRISON HOLT NODAWAY

WORTH

Tornadoes Hit Oklahoma

Enid, Oklahoma

A tornado apparently touched down here late Saturday, causing damage in parts of the city and knocking out power, authorities said. "We had a tornado that did some damage to the expo center and extensive damage in north Enid," said Mike Honigsberg, emergency management director for Enid. Honigsberg said he had no information about any injuries.

A second tornado developed two miles southeast of Kremlin according to the National Weather Service. Oklahoma Gas and Electric customers were without power in Enid, according to the utility's Web site.The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning just before 10 p.m. for Garfield County after radar indicated a storm capable of producing a tornado near Vance Air Force Base.

Another warning was issued about 30 minutes later for an area north of downtown.

A tornado watch covers 24 counties in western and northern Oklahoma until late Saturday.

Oklahoma Is Burning

At present we have 22 major fires in Oklahoma. With winds at 50 mph, it is impossible for the firefighters to contain the fires. Embers are blowing everywhere creating more fires. Many houses have burned to the ground and more are beginning to burn. It has been reported that at least 2 firefighters have been injured. One was seriously burned and the other is suffering from exhaustion and smoke inhalation.

It is dark now and the wind shift line is quickly approaching. The winds behind the front are approximately 44 mph but expected to increase. Temperatures will drop with the wind chill factor in the 20's. This wind shift will cause the fires to move back over the areas previously burned. What didn't burn earlier will most likely catch fire. Shelters that were set up earlier will again be evacuated.

I would personally like to thank all the firefighters and emergency responders who have risked their lives fighting these fires. My prayers are with them and all who have been affected by these fires.

Tornado Watch for Eastern Oklahoma

A large portion of Oklahoma (roughly the eastern ½ of the state), NOT INCLUDING Oklahoma County, has been placed in a Tornado Watch until 9:00 PM this evening. This is due to a dry line that is moving through the state, with the accompanying potential for thunderstorm development this afternoon and evening, usually in advance (to the east) of the dryline.
See attached image-
Latest from the National Weather Service’s Enhanced Weather Page: Warm temperatures, very dry air, and strong west to southwest winds behind a dryline will produce dangerous wildfire conditions today, especially across central and southwest Oklahoma and all of western north Texas. A cold front will follow the dryline and produce strong northerly winds across the region with a few showers and thunderstorms possible across northern Oklahoma. It will turn cooler for Oklahoma and northern Texas from Friday into the weekend while rain chances will improve significantly late Saturday and Sunday.