Skip to main content

Severe Kansas tornado prompts stark National Weather Service warning

A dangerous, half mile-wide hurricane struck near Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon, part of an extreme weather system moving through the central U.S. and stretching from north Texas to Minnesota.

At 6:12 p.m. Central Standard time, the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma issued an insistent alert on Twitter about tornado striking Pink, a town on the edge of Oklahoma City.

 

"Large tornado west of Pink!" the post read. "Take cover RIGHT NOW in Pink! DO NOT WAIT!"

The storm system had been building for hours when a "large tornado" touched down near Wichita, Kansas at 3:45 Central Standard time, according to a weather service alert.

"Exceptionally powerful, severe thunderstorms capable of destructive hail as large as baseballs ... are likely ... especially over southeast Kansas this evening," another NWS advisory warned.

Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all in the path of the storm system, which could produce up to 80 mile per hour winds, baseball-sized hail and violent tornadoes in some areas.

The storm is so large and severe it prompted an unusually blunt National Weather Service warning.

"You could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter," the advisory reads. "Complete destruction of neighborhoods, businesses and vehicles will occur. Flying debris will be deadly to people and animals."

A tornado also touched down in southwest Wichita at 3:45 p.m. Central time, moving northeast at about 35 miles per hour toward Topeka, said Pat Slattery, National Weather Service spokesman for the U.S. Central region, which covers 14 states.

In northeast Oklahoma, the Lincoln County sheriff's office reported three tornado touchdowns in the region, NBC News said early Sunday evening.

Slattery said the potential severity of the storm prompted the weather service to issue the stark advisory, which is part of a new "impact-based warning system" being tested in the U.S. Central region, in the wake of a violent tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011, killing 158 and wounding hundreds more.

Slattery said the new, more urgent advisory is reserved for severe tornadoes with the potential to form into super cell storms, which produce powerful winds and flash flooding. Super cells are considered to be the most dangerous of four categories of storms because of the extreme weather they generate.

A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assessment of the Joplin storm found that "when people heard the first tornado warning, they did not immediately seek shelter. They looked for a secondary source to confirm the tornado," Slattery said. "That got some people killed."

(Reporting by Chris Francescani; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio and Richard Chang)

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o