National Weather Service confirms tornado touchdown in metro Little Rock area
From CNN’s Paradise Afshar and Sara Smart
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touchdown in metro Little Rock and its suburban areas.
The agency has gotten multiple reports of injuries and damage to infrastructure, according to meteorologist Colby Pope.
Three areas of Little Rock have sustained damage as a result of the tornado that hit the region, Aaron Sadler, a spokesperson with Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s office, told CNN.
The governor’s office is asking people to stay away from the areas of Shackleford, Rodney Parham and Breckenridge to “allow emergency responders to do their work.”
Damage assessment is currently underway in those areas.
Over 50,000 customers without power as tornado blows near Little Rock
From CNN's Gene Norman and Chris Boyette
Over 50,000 customers are without power in Pulaski County in Arkansas, as a confirmed tornado west of Little Rock is expected to pass just north of downtown.
According to PowerOutage.us, 53,714 customers are without power.
A tornado emergency was declared in the last hour, and the National Weather Service located in North Little Rock evacuated to a tornado shelter. The NWS office in Memphis is taking over issuing warnings.
New tornado watch includes Chicago and Milwaukee until 10 p.m. local time
From CNN's Gene Norman
A new tornado watch is now in effect for northern Illinois, northwest Indiana, southern Wisconsin and Lake Michigan until 10 p.m. CT (11 p.m. ET), according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Storms developing this afternoon and evening are expected to produce a couple of intense tornadoes, damaging wind gusts to 70 mph and hail as large as golf balls.
Cities in the watch include Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee and Rockford.
Kentucky governor issues state of emergency: “This is the worst forecast I’ve seen as Governor”
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency ahead of the severe weather headed for his state.
“This is the worst forecast that I’ve seen as Governor,” Beshear said in a statement. “I am declaring a state of emergency so that we can be prepared.”
Forecasters warned of enhanced risk for severe storms, Level 3 of 5, in areas of the state including Louisville. The main threats are isolated long-track tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail.
Kentuckians are expected to be sheltered by 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET).
“I don’t want to lose one more Kentuckian, so everybody be safe,” Beshear added.
The governor also advised for all state office buildings to close by 3 p.m. CST on Friday.
Elsewhere Friday, a rare Level 5 out of 5 alert has been issued for parts of the Midwest and South, impacting nearly 3 million people Friday evening.
Here's where severe weather is expected
From CNN's Rob Shackelford, Jennifer Gray, Aya Elamroussi and Alaa Elassar
A rare “high risk” Level 5 out of 5 alert has been issued Friday for parts of the Midwest and Mid-South, impacting nearly 3 million people, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
High-risk areas include two main regions:
Additionally, severe storms are expected to sweep across some central and southern states beginning Friday afternoon, bringing the threat of several strong tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds to nearly 90 million people across 21 states.
Tornado watches have been issued for 15 million people, stretching from southern Arkansas to northern Iowa until 8 p.m CT (9 p.m. ET) and parts of northeast Texas, northwest Louisiana and far southern Oklahoma until 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m ET). Shreveport, Louisiana, and Tyler, Texas, are included in the tornado watch.
These tornado watches have been labeled a “particularly dangerous situation” by the Storm Prediction Center.
The prediction center warns of a couple of tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts of up to 70 mph.
