MURRAY – Calloway County is facing a severe weather threat tonight and tomorrow, which will likely include strong winds and could involve tornadoes, flooding or hail.
Justin Holland, Murray’s official government weather observer for the National Weather Service’s Paducah office, said the area is at a moderate risk for severe weather from Friday evening until about 5 p.m. Saturday. He said the public needs to be aware that Racer Arena is closed for renovations, so it will not act as a storm shelter this weekend. However, the Calloway County Courthouse Annex will open at 4 p.m. Friday. Pets will be allowed, but they must be leashed or crated and the owner will be responsible for any care or cleaning required, he said. Holland urged anyone living in a mobile home or similarly vulnerable structure to make plans to relocate in case the worst hits.
“Most of the day Friday will be dry and sunny and warm, and we'll have a clouds increase late in the day, with thunderstorms probably moving in after 8 or 9 o'clock at night,” Holland said. “Some of those could be strong to severe. It will be very windy during the day Friday, with wind gusts up to 40-45 miles per hour. Then Friday night, we could get straight-line winds up to 70 miles per hour, and isolated tornadoes will be possible. Some of the tornadoes could be long-tracked and strong. (The tornado threat will be) from about 9 p.m. through 3 a.m. Saturday.
“Then we'll have another round (of threatening conditions) Saturday, anywhere from about 10 a.m. through about 3 p.m. That round could also pose a flash flood threat, and there could also be more possibilities for tornadoes and high winds. There is a hail threat with both systems as well, so this is going to be a system with ‘all threats’ – high winds, tornadoes, flooding and hail.”
Holland said Murray and Calloway County could get lucky, but everyone needs to be on high alert and be prepared for the worst.
“We're under a moderate risk now, and we'll probably continue to be under a moderate risk through Saturday, so people need to have several ways to receive weather notifications, and they need to be in a sturdy brick building,” Holland said. “Monitor the situation, and just keep your fingers crossed that it misses us to the north or misses us to the south. We are not guaranteed severe weather, but the threat does exist, so people need to be prepared and have a plan.”
With Murray State University playing in the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball tournament in Evansville, Indiana this weekend and local schools involved in the state archery tournament in Louisville, many locals might be planning to be out of town. However, Holland they will still need to pay close attention to the forecast wherever they are.
“The threat goes way to the east,” Holland said. “Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, Knoxville – they're all in the line for severe weather.”
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