Wild weather expected Wednesday gets a rare 'high-risk' designation -- the most severe category
That area most at risk of catastrophic weather on Wednesday includes parts of west Tennessee including Memphis; northeast Arkansas; the southeast corner of Missouri; and parts of western Kentucky and southern Illinois.
The Norman, Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center says that 'multiple long-track EF3+ tornadoes, appear likely.' Tornadoes of that magnitude are among the strongest on the Enhanced Fujita scale, used to rate their intensity.
Historically, the 'high-risk' designation has been used sparingly, but it did appear just a couple of weeks ago to warn of a deadly tornado outbreak in mid-March.
Magenta marks areas at highest risk
The Storm Prediction Center uses five categories to warn of expected severe weather, ranging from marginal to high. Its forecast maps are color-coded, with the lowest risk areas in green and the highest shown in magenta.
The 'high risk' designation is used when severe weather is expected to include 'numerous intense and long-tracked tornadoes' or thunderstorms producing hurricane-force wind gusts and inflicting widespread damage, according to the agency.
On many days when the 'high risk' designation was used in recent years, the forecasts became reality.
2024 Kansas and Oklahoma tornado outbreak
On May, 6, 2024, the Storm Prediction Center assigned the high-risk category to parts of Kansas and Oklahoma, warning of 'multiple significant tornadoes along potentially long paths.'
The forecast was prescient, as dozens of tornadoes gouged the landscape. One of the strongest twisters tore through the small town of Barnsdall, Oklahoma and then struck the larger community of Bartlesville.
Aerial video showed many homes reduced to piles of rubble. About 25 people were rescued from homes where buildings had collapsed on or around them, the town's mayor said at the time.
2023 Mississippi River Valley tornadoes
On March 31, 2023, the Storm Prediction Center outlined two areas along the Mississippi River Valley at high risk for tornadoes.
Hours after that forecast was issued, multiple twisters collapsed a theater roof during a heavy metal concert in Illinois and shredded homes and shopping centers in Arkansas.
A roof collapse at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, killed one person and injured more than two dozen others. About 260 people were in the venue at the time, the local fire chief said.
In all, 146 tornadoes from the 2023 outbreak were confirmed, making it the third-largest tornado outbreak on record in the U.S., the National Weather Service said. More than two dozen people were killed and dozens of others injured.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Spain, Portugal and Greece battle raging wildfires amid grueling heatwave
Firefighters in Spain, Portugal, and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. 'Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X. Advertisement 9 Local residents react in front of the fire during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. AP The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave, which brought temperatures exceeding 104 Fahrenheit on several days this month, was expected to last through Monday. Advertisement Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high-speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 610 square miles, according to the European Union's European Forest Fire Information System. 9 Spain was fighting 14 major fires, as temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. AP 9 Firefighters in Spain, Portugal, and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. MARIAM A MONTESINOS/EPA/Shutterstock Advertisement That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. In both Spain and Portugal, it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling seven major fires. 9 A wildfire rages near a house in Granja do Paiva, Sernancelhe municipality, Viseu district, Portugal. PEDRO SARMENTO COSTA/EPA/Shutterstock Advertisement 9 In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling seven major fires. PEDRO SARMENTO COSTA/EPA/Shutterstock Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. 9 Volunteer Lifeguards, with a lifeboat, removed families and pets from the Vrachnaeika area in Greece, where the firestorm reached the sea. Hellenic red cross 9 Overnight evacuations, like the one above, were needed as the wildfire started to burn the island of Chios. Hellenic red cross 9 Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea. Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire / 9 Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire near the city of Patras, western Greece on August 13. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the Fire Service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country, where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Spain, Portugal, and Greece battle wildfires as heatwave is expected to last for days
MADRID (AP) — Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. 'Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X. The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Union's European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. In both Spain and Portugal it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling seven major fires. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the Fire Service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians. AP writer Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens.
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Spain, Portugal, and Greece battle wildfires as heatwave is expected to last for days
MADRID (AP) — Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. 'Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X. The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Union's European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. In both Spain and Portugal it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling seven major fires. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the Fire Service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians.
