St. Joseph, Missouri – Residents across northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas should brace for severe storms Monday night, with tornadoes, 75 mph winds, and apple-sized hail threatening communities until midnight.
According to the US National Weather Service in Kansas City, a Tornado Watch remains in effect until 12 a.m. CDT Tuesday for Atchison and Doniphan counties in Kansas, as well as Atchison, Holt, Buchanan, Nodaway, Andrew, Worth, Gentry, Dekalb, and Harrison counties in Missouri. The watch highlights a few tornadoes likely, scattered large hail, and damaging wind gusts.
St. Joseph, Maryville, and surrounding towns lie directly in the storm’s path. Drivers along I-29 and I-35 should avoid travel tonight as conditions could quickly turn dangerous. Schools and hospitals across the region have activated severe weather plans, with shelters on standby.
Residents are urged to secure outdoor items, charge mobile devices, and have flashlights and weather radios ready. Tornado sirens may sound with little notice, so remain alert to rapidly changing conditions.
This is the region’s first widespread tornado threat of the spring, and additional warnings may follow if storms intensify overnight.
