From the NOAA Storm Prediction Center:
PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1226 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011 ...MAJOR TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI...MID MISSISSIPPI...AND LOWER OHIO VALLEYS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS TORNADOES...WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS...AND LARGE HAIL OVER PARTS OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI...MID MISSISSIPPI...AND LOWER OHIO VALLEYS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIANA
WESTERN KENTUCKY
CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI
NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
WESTERN TENNESSEE
SURROUNDING THE GREATEST RISK AREA...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
FROM LOUSIANA NORTHEASTWARD TO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY AND LOWER GREAT
LAKES.
THE STRONG JET STREAM DISTURBANCE IN PART RESPONSIBLE FOR
YESTERDAY'S TORNADO OUTBREAK IN THE PLAINS WILL CONTINUE EAST INTO
MISSOURI LATER TODAY AND INTO ILLINOIS BY EARLY THURSDAY AS ITS
ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW AND COLD FRONT MOVE FROM EASTERN KANSAS TO
NEAR ST LOUIS.
WARM...MOIST SOUTHERLY WINDS STREAMING NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THE LOW
WILL UNDERCUT A BAND OF FAST...COOL...WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY JET STREAM
FLOW.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW FORMING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT
PROGRESSING EAST ACROSS THE OZARKS AND MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
OTHER STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FORM OVER A LARGE AREA OF
MOIST...UNSTABLE CONDITIONS FROM EASTERN ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST
MO...ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHERN INDIANA...WESTERN
AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY...AND WESTERN TENNESSEE.
CONDITIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
LONG-LIVED ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE FAST-MOVING AND
POTENTIALLY DEADLY TORNADOES...IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND. THE STORMS MAY EVOLVE INTO AN EXTENSIVE BAND THIS
EVENING...WITH AN ASSOCIATED THREAT FOR DAMAGING WIND... HAIL...AND
TORNADOES SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OHIO VALLEY AND
INTO PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATER TONIGHT.
STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE MONITORING THIS POTENTIALLY
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO
REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO
RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE
WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.
..HART.. 05/25/2011

they were correct.Had a rough windy tornado filled day in Sedalia Missouri. Glad the warning system worked for me.
Anthony,
What about the twister in your backyard of Chico today? I was hoping for some coverage.
APE
REPLY: I happened to be in Sacramento when it happened, unfortunately, and just got home. -A
We are relatively free of tornados in Oz, so we can only imagine the frightening effects and feel for those harmed. Our rarer cyclones are quite a handful also.
A colleague mentioned he had seen video of a tornado in which a whole large house was lifted and taken once or more around the funnel, reaching an estimated height of about 1,000 ft. Is this an urban myth, or have others seen the footage? If so, I’d appreciate a link because it helps to understand forces better.
I live in Rockford, Illinois. We had a warning a few days ago. On my way to the basement I stuck my head out the front door to listen/look. Scariest thing I have experienced in my life. A tornado sounds like continuous thunder with no “boom”. Fortunately only funnel cloud sightings. No touch downs. Lots of wind, hail, and downed tree branches though.
We even got a couple here in Anthony’s neighborhood yesterday. Small tornadoes touched down in Butte County, Ca at about 6:30pm local time as a strong cell moved west to east over south Chico, Durham and between Oroville and Paradise. The Butte College campus was closed in an effort to keep people safe. This was a pair of very small cells and so far, no reports of damage. KRCA channel 3 out of Sacramento got some good aerial footage from a helicopter of one the tornadoes touching down briefly.
I wonder if the extreme tornado situation this spring might be a delayed consequence of the grand solar minimum of 2008-2010.
We actually do have the Skywarn / spotter training out here. Not sure what the uptake is in terms of #s of folks.
@ur momisugly Geoff Sherrington:
Around :40 in this video, an entire structure is lifted up into the tornado. I don’t know about 1,000 feet. That seems like an exaggeration. This structure made it about 50 feet before the wind shredded the thing.
Just this moment watching the beautiful full-colour hi-res hi-fps Nest Cam at Decorah, of 3 bald eagle chicks being fed by Momma, with bright sunshine and a brisk, increasing wind from the SSE. Earlier, the oldest chick (near fledging, almost 2 months old) (older by 1 and 4 days over its siblings), was trying its (huge!) wings, bouncing up and down and bothering the others.
http://www.farmyou.com/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html
Enjoy!
P.S. to the above; it’s near the triple junction of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, on the fringes of the current warnings.