The National Weather Service placed Butler County under a severe thunderstorm warning, in effect until 3:15 p.m. High winds are of special concern as the afternoon progresses, putting the region under the enhanced risk classification.
“The enhanced risk is essentially the outlook from the Storm Prediction Center telling you that we have a 30% chance for damaging winds with any thunderstorms as we head through to, say, afternoon and evening,” said meteorologist David Witten with NWS Paducah.
The storm line hit Poplar Bluff around 3 p.m. from the west and southwest, with sustained winds of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. Damage to tree limbs and houses is possible. Motorists are urged to be mindful of the wind conditions, especially if they drive high profile vehicles.
The area is also under a tornado watch until 10 p.m., which means conditions are favorable for an isolated tornado, Witten explained.
Butler County is predicted to receive 1-2 inches of rain depending on the region. Fortunately, the chances of hail and flash floods are low.
“Flooding overall is not too big of a concern today, because the duration for the heaviest rains is probably going to be only an hour or two,” Witten said. “So things are moving through pretty quickly.”
More information and updates are available at www.weather.gov/pah/.