Tupelo, MS – A tornado watch has been issued for a large portion of northern Mississippi, with the National Weather Service warning residents of the potential for severe storms and tornado activity extending into the early morning hours.
According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Tornado Watch 98 went into effect at 2:50 p.m. CDT on Wednesday and will remain in effect until 12:00 a.m. CDT Thursday. The watch area includes 20 counties in Mississippi, primarily concentrated in the northern and northwestern parts of the state.
The counties under watch are: Alcorn, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Coahoma, DeSoto, Lafayette, Lee, Marshall, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, and Yalobusha.
Forecasters are urging residents in these areas to stay alert through the evening and monitor local weather alerts, as conditions could rapidly evolve to produce tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail.
Meteorologists emphasized that overnight tornadoes are particularly dangerous due to reduced visibility and the likelihood that many people may be asleep when warnings are issued. Officials recommend keeping cell phones on with weather alerts enabled and having a safe shelter location identified in advance.
Additional updates and potential warning extensions may be issued depending on the development of storm systems moving through the region tonight.
Stay tuned to local media, weather radios, and trusted news sources for updates throughout the night.
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