Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Mississippi Valley; Fire Weather Concerns in the Southern High Plains

Severe thunderstorms and the threat for excessive rainfall will move into the mid-Mississippi and lower Ohio Valleys today. There is potential for a few strong tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, large hail, and scattered flash flooding. Low humidity and windy conditions will continue to produce elevated to critical fire weather conditions across the southern High Plains into midweek. Read More >

you possibly can. Avoid rooms that may be damaged by falling trees.
If you are in a manufactured home, you should abandon the home in favor of a pre-determined sturdier shelter. This may be a frame home or underground shelter owned by a neighbor, or a community storm shelter. Even weak tornadoes can flip or otherwise cause significant damage to manufactured homes, especially if they are not securely tied down.
If you are caught outside, you should seek out a sturdy shelter, such as a home or office building. If shelter is not immediately available, make an attempt to drive to one. If you encounter flying debris while driving, pull over and park your vehicle. If at all possible, do not park under trees or power lines. At this point you should a.) with seat belt fastened, duck your head below the level of the windows, covering your head with your hands and a blanket OR b.) if it is obvious that you can get below the level of the road, abandon the vehicle and lie down in the lowest spot, making sure to cover your head.
Once you are in your shelter, find a stationary object, such as a workbench, or a sturdy piece of furniture to shelter under. If you are in a bathroom, take shelter in the tub. Cover yourself with heavy blankets, a mattress, or something similar to protect you body from flying debris. Assume the tornado protection position, taking special care to protect your head.

Table 4. Killer tornadoes reported in the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia since 1950.
County	Date	Deaths	Time	Rating
Spartanburg-SC	May 10, 1952	2	1400	F3
Abbeville-SC	March 31, 1973	7	1820	F4
Greenwood-SC	December 13, 1973	2	1430	F4
Gaston-NC	April 2, 1974	1	0153	F1
Graham-NC	April 3, 1974	2	2100	F2
Spartanburg-SC	May 5, 1989	2	1620	F4
Lincoln-NC	May 5, 1989	4	1654	F4
Union-NC	May 5, 1989	1	1801	F4
Chester-SC	April 16, 1994	1	0111	F2
Franklin-GA	September 16, 2004	1	1645	F2
Iredell-NC	November 15, 2006	1	2345	F2
Rabun-GA	April 27, 2011	1	2300	F3
York-SC	November 16, 2011	3	1830	EF2
Union-SC	April 3, 2017	1	1421	EF1
Oconee-SC	April 13, 2020	1	0321	EF3