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Significant Severe Weather Episode Likely Later Today/Tonight (2/23) in the Deep South/Lower MS Valley Region

StormLowerValleyRegion2_23

We continue to forecast a significant severe weather episode, mainly later today and into tonight, across portions of the lower Mississippi River Valley and Deep South region.  This threat will include tornadoes, a few of which could be strong and/or long tracked.

The area at greatest risk of severe weather (as shown in red and tan on the above image) includes a total population of approximately 8.4 million, which includes approximately 3.2 million single family homes.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are ongoing at this time to the East of the Houston/Beaumont area along the Louisiana border.  As the activity moves and develops Eastward during the day, the threat of large hail, damaging winds and scattered tornadoes will increase across the indicated areas, which includes the larger communities of:
Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans, LA
Jackson, MS
Mobile, AL
Montgomery, AL
Birmingham, AL
Pensacola, FL
Panama City, FL

It is possible that a few of the tornadoes could be strong and/or have a long track length, especially during the afternoon and evening hours and especially within or near the red shaded area on the above image.  This includes the Baton Rouge, Hattiesburg, Mobile and Montgomery areas.

The threat of severe weather will shift East into portions of Georgia and northwest Florida during the overnight hours tonight and into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday.  Damaging wind gusts will become the primary threat by that time period in that region.

We will continue to monitor this situation and issue relevant updates as conditions warrant.