It's been a siege of severe weather this week, and another rash of storms fired up Friday in some of the same areas hit earlier.Our latest forecastshows where tornadoes, hail and flooding rain could happen again.
(07:18 p.m. EDT) Watch: Clouds Explode Over Midwest
(07:04 p.m. EDT) 'Busy Evening As Expected'
(06:42 p.m. EDT) Tornado Safety Tips
From content writer Toby Adeyemi
The National Weather Service has these following safety tips during a tornado.
Before The Storm:
Know where to take shelter at home, work, school, and in your car before a tornado strikes.
Plan, prepare, and practice your tornado response — flying debris causes most deaths and injuries.
Avoid windows at all costs — exploding glass can injure or kill.
At Home:
Go to the interior part of a basement, away from windows and exterior walls.
If no basement, go to an inside room without windows on the lowest floor — center hallway, bathroom, or closet.
Get under something sturdy like a heavy table or workbench for added protection.
Cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag, or mattress and protect your head with your hands.
Avoid sheltering under heavy objects like pianos or refrigerators that could fall through the floor.
Mobile Homes:
Never stay in a mobile home manufactured before 1976 during a tornado, they're extremely vulnerable.
Go to a nearby building with a basement if possible.
If no shelter is available, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert and shield your head with your hands.
Remember: There's no completely safe place during a tornado, but some locations are much safer than others.
(06:07 p.m. EDT) Increasing Tornado Threat For Milwaukee
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
A couple of solitary supercells are marching through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin and conditions suggest an increasing tornado and very large hail threat from Milwaukee to Waukegan, Illinois, over the next couple of hours. These storms ahead of the squall line are the most likely storms to produce a strong tornado or two today if they can remain isolated from other storms and ahead of the squall line.
(05:45 p.m. EDT) DHS Flood Safety Tips
From content writer Toby Adeyemi
TheWisconsin Department of Health Serviceshas shared some flood safety tips everyone needs to see.
If Water Is Rising:
Get out immediately and move to higher ground — don't wait.
Lock doors, turn off utilities at main switches before evacuating.
Disconnect appliances, but never touch electrical equipment while wet or standing in water.
Don't walk through moving water — even a few inches can knock you down.
Listen to public safety officials and follow evacuation orders.
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After The Flood:
Only return home when authorities confirm it's safe.
Avoid driving or walking through flooded areas — roads may be eroded or damaged.
Never wade, swim, or bathe in floodwater — it contains bacteria, chemicals, and debris.
Use extreme caution entering buildings — check for hidden structural damage first.
Food Safety:
When in doubt, throw it out — don't rely on appearance, taste, or smell.
Toss perishable food after four hours without power or refrigeration.
Refreeze thawed food only if it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below.
Throw out any food touched by floodwater, even in sealed containers.
(05:40 p.m. EDT) WATCH: Severe Weather Crossing The Midwest From Space
An incredible satellite imaging of the storms crossing the midwest today. Check out whatCIRAposted on X, showing storms crossing southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois from 1:45 PM ET to 3:09 PM ET this afternoon:
(05:15 p.m. EDT) Some Weather Words To Know Today
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
Tornado Watch:The atmosphere is primed to produce tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail. If in one of these watches, you should be ready to move to your storm shelter with your family. This watch is issued by the Storm Prediction Center
Quasi-Linear Convective System (or QLCS):This is a fancy name for squall lines, but they can be producers of tornadoes alongside damaging winds. Meteorologists look for little kinks on these lines for tornadoes on radar.
Moderate Risk:This is the threat level that exists today in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. This is the second-highest threat level issued by the Storm Prediction Center and is issued a handful of times each year around the country. This risk area can be issued for damaging winds, hail or tornadoes, or a combination of the three. Today, it was issued for the combination of damaging winds and hail. You should have your weather plan in mind throughout your day in case damaging weather comes your way.
Severe thunderstorm:A storm that is producing a tornado, wind gusts of at least 60 mph or hail of at least one inch in diameter.
Particularly Dangerous Situation (or PDS):This tag is affixed on watches or warnings issued by the National Weather Service when there is a distinct threat to life or property that is higher than a regular watch or warning might suggest. These storms often have confirmed threats like tornadoes or very strong winds.
(04:55 p.m. EDT) Tornado With A ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ Tag On The Ground In Wisconsin
From meteorologistSara Tonksand meteorologistJennifer Gray:
A confirmed tornado with a “particularly dangerous situation” (PDS) tag is on the ground in Wisconsin, according to the La Crosse National Weather Service office. The tornado is large and extremely dangerous, and the damage threat is considerable.
The PDS tag is used in warnings for radar-confirmed or spotter-confirmed tornadoes that are likely to be strong. These particular warnings are rare and an elevated version of a tornado warning that is meant to suggest an unusually high threat of damage and loss of life exists for a particular storm.
(MORE:All Tornado Warnings Should Be Taken Seriously, But They Aren't All The Same. Here Are The Different Types)
(04:43 p.m. EDT) Today’s Biggest Threat Isn’t Tornadoes
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
You may already know that today’s severe thunderstorm threat is toward the upper end of the scale – a 4 out of 5 risk, or a moderate risk per the Storm Prediction Center – but it is for damaging winds and very large hail in the Central Plains rather than for tornadoes. A well-developed line of thunderstorms is now sweeping eastward through the country’s mid-section. Some wind gusts in eastern Kansas or western Missouri could reach 85 mph through mid to late evening.
The threat for tornadoes is located over eastern Iowa, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin through mid-evening.
(04:39 p.m. EDT) Tornado Watch In Illinois And Missouri
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch in Illinois and Missouri thru 11pm CDT.
That includes Chicago, St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield.
