Tornado Emergency Issued in Oklahoma City
Posted by feww on June 1, 2013
Large, Destructive Tornadoes Target Oklahoma City Area
A tornado emergency has been issued for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, covering Okla. City, Moore and several other suburbs.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Tornado Emergency if a storm with tornadoes is moving toward a populated area.
“An extremely unstable air mass has developed across much of Central & Eastern Oklahoma,” the weather service warned, describing weather conditions as “particularly dangerous.”
“This will likely result in rapid development of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.” NWS said.
Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City has been evacuated with more than a 1,000 passengers moved to underground tunnels; currently no flights are arriving or departing.
About a dozen tornadoes touched down in Arkansas three in Oklahoma and one in Illinois on Thursday. One tornado hit Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, causing structural damage to multiple buildings.
Tornado damage has also been reported in Canadian County, located west of Okla. City.
Several twisters have already touched down near El Reno, about 25 miles west of downtown Oklahoma City, overturning vehicles on I-40, downing utility poles and tossing livestock on the road, eyewitnesses said.
Authorities closed I-35 and I-40 and warned motorists to seek immediate shelter.
Meantime, flooding has inundated parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, with a number of fatalities reported.
NWS Weather Hazards Map
US Weather Hazards Map. Source: NWS
Fire Earth 
Leave a Reply