Update: New briefing from the NWS as of 11:30 am on Sunday at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPAxdg9FOEI&feature=youtu.be
If you have not been paying attention to your local weather, you need to pay attention now. The forecast for Easter Sunday in the Southeast shows a very high probability of several rounds of severe weather occurring from Sunday morning through Monday morning, depending on your location. This severe weather will include high winds, potentially strong long-track tornadoes, hail, and lightning as well as flash flooding in some areas. This will not occur continuously but is likely to occur in two to three waves, starting as early as Sunday morning in Alabama, hitting across Alabama and Georgia Sunday afternoon and evening, and moving east to hit the Carolinas by early Monday morning. There may be lulls between the severe weather episodes but do not let your guard down. I expect we may see the last line of storms go through Athens GA, where I live, sometime around sunrise on Monday. I may sleep in the basement on Sunday night just in case. In the Carolinas it could end later on Monday morning. They are comparing this outbreak to April 27, 2011, which was one of the worst outbreaks on record for the Southeast. Hopefully it will not be that bad, but you need to be prepared now.
You can listen to the latest briefing from the NWS in Peachtree City at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDbKl0qT_ds. If you are in an area that is served by a different NWS office, please check their local page to see if they have done their own briefings.
Because of COVID-19, some people may not have their usual options for sheltering available. Do not let the virus keep you from sheltering safely! Many people can be safe in their homes as long as they take proper precautions. Mobile homes are the least safe locations. You can read more about this here.
You do need to make sure you have a way to get warnings so that you know when to head for shelter. This is especially important because many of these storms may occur overnight, when you might not notice alarms on your cell phones. Inside it is also hard to hear sirens, so don’t count on them for warning, especially if you are sleeping. If you don’t have a NOAA weather radio, then make sure your cell phones are on and the volume is LOUD in case of alarms. An app that is specifically designed to provide current weather warnings is better than a general weather app. Or sleep in shifts to make sure someone is always watching.
Happy Easter, and let’s make it a safe and secure one for all our families and friends. Stay aware and stay safe, wherever in the Southeast you are. If you are outside our region, then thanks for keeping all of our folk in mind through what is going to be a tough day and night.
