Tornado Outbreak Is, Sadly Very Bad, And It Isn't Over

Image from television station KATV shows a large,
destructive tornado today in the Little Rock, Arkansas area.

Just a quick evening update on the tornado situation in the Midwest and South. 

We're probably not even halfway done with this tornado outbreak as of 6 p.m. eastern time and already the news is bad. And it will get worse. 

So far, the worse news is from the Little Rock, Arkansas, area. The west and north side of the metro area was hit hard by a large tornado this afternoon.

Details are still sketchy, but there are reports of at least 600 injuries, and not enough ambulances to transport victims.  in Local hospitals declared a mass casualty event. Video emerging from Little Rock show badly damaged or destroyed houses and cars tossed about on highways. Commercial buildings appear to have also suffered a lot of damage.

More tornadoes remain across much of Arkansas. Little Rock might be hit again, as supercells with possible tornadoes look like they might be headed toward the southeastern side of Little Rock. 

Meanwhile, at least one large, long lasting tornado was marauding through Iowa. Video from Iowa shows a massive tornado chugging through farm country. At last report, the huge tornado was just west of Iowa City.  It appeared that Cedar Rapids could be endangered by this twister a little later on. 

Tornadoes, some violent and long-lasting, are forecast to last well into the evening in a broad area of the Midwest and South. 

Meanwhile, back here in Vermont, it snowed today. But they have increased the threat of severe thunderstorms. As of this morning, only a low, low marginal risk of severe storms was up for southern Vermont. It was level one on a five point alert scale.

Now, southern Vermont is  under a "slight" risk of severe storms, which is level 2 on the five point scale. The marginal risk has been extended north to just south of the Canadian border. There's also now a very, very low, but not zero chance of a tornado in a narrow band, from the Vermont/New Hampshire border near Brattleboro, through southwestern New England, the New York City area and on into New Jersey.

I'll have a much bigger update tomorrow.