(Updated at 9:50pm Eastern Time )
FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The entire viewing area is now under a moderate risk for severe weather associated with a line of storms that are expected to hit the area Friday afternoon and evening.
While the map on Thursday had shown most of the area being under an Enhanced risk with parts of the area still listed as Slight risk, that has since been upgraded. All counties in the viewing area are now categorized as a Moderate risk. According to WTWO Chief Meteorologist Jesse Walker, there are a total of only 5 levels, and “moderate” is the 4th level with “high risk” being the highest level.
The most severe area related to this line of storms is expected to stay west of our area with central Illinois looking to have the biggest risk of damaging tornados.
“While these storms have the potential to produce tornadoes, the highest risk of strong tornadoes looks like it will stay west of us,” Walker said.
Walker added that residents should expect to see scattered storms begin to hit the area between 4 and 7 p.m. with the big line of storms expected to hit later in the evening. While that line of storms will be powerful while coming through western Illinois, the setting sun should help to weaken the storm line as it hits the Wabash Valley.
We now have two TORNADO WATCHES west of here. Both are what we call a PDS watch which is rare and this is what PDS stands for: …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…meaning strong tornadoes are possible in those watch areas. NO watches for us currently. pic.twitter.com/pCUpE8zqTC
— Jesse Walker (@jessewalkerWTWO) March 31, 2023
Looking at the entirety of the storm, areas both northwest and southwest of here have been classified as High Risk. “The last time a HIGH RISK was issued for any part of the country was 2 years ago today (March 31, 2021),” Walker said. “This has only happened twice in the last 3 years and the last time part of Illinois or Indiana was covered in a HIGH RISK warning was nearly a decade ago in November 2013.”
Nationally 83 million people are currently covered under the Severe Weather alert.
Thursday evening Jesse Walker took to Facebook Live from the Casey State Bank Podcast Studio at WTWO to give a detailed update on the coming storms. View that video in its entirety below;
Follow MyWabashValley.com as well as WTWO and WAWV on-air and online as we keep residents updated with the latest weather news as this severe weather hits the area.
