Tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina - 5/8/08

News Reports
VIDEO: Cars go flying in Alabama! (WHNT-TV)
VIDEO: Different angles of flying cars (CNN)
Tornado blows vehicles off highway in N. Carolina, kills 1 (Yahoo/AP)

Damage Survey
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, VA has determined an EF-1 Tornado touched down near Figsboro, VA on Friday. There was also a confirmed EF-1 Tornado touchdown near Ajax, VA.

11:15 PM CDT
More Tornado Warnings in the Greensboro, NC area.
LIVE COVERAGE FROM WFMY

10:43 PM CDT
Still some thunderstorms with strong rotation on the East Coast:
-- Tornado Warning for Alamance and Guilford counties in North Carolina. Tornado reported on the ground. CARS HAVE BEEN REPORTED BLOWN OFF THE ROAD ON INTERSTATE 40 NEAR HIGHWAY 68 -- VERY CLOSE TO PIEDMONT TRIAD AIRPORT.
-- Tornado Warning for Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford counties in Virginia and Prince Georges and Charles counties in Maryland. Storm is about 25 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

9:34 PM CDT
Tornado Warnings now out in eastern states:
-- Davidson and Forsyth counties in North Carolina, including the city of Winston-Salem.
-- Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Fredericksburg counties in Virginia, including the city of Fredericksburg.

7:22 PM CDT
3 Tornado Warnings out in Virginia for cells to the south of Blacksburg. The cell in Kansas still not showing any signs of giving up any time soon. 5 different cams up on the Chase Cam Network!

7:11 PM CDT
Chris Rice has great clear footage on cam of a possible funnel/wall cloud on the cell in Kansas

7:00 PM CDT
Tornado Warnings on the east coast in Virginia

6:54 PM CDT
Another image from GR2AE from the Dodge City, KS Storm.

6:30 PM CDT
Here are some images of the supercell in Kansas from GR2AE.

6:11 PM CDT
CHRIS RICE CHASE CAM Chris is closing in on the strong supercell in Kansas.

Tornado Warnings continue for areas northwest of Jetmore, KS.

5:31 PM CDT

5:20 PM CDT
Lou Ruh and Thunderstorm Team are still tracking the storm in Kansas

5:10 PM CDT
Monster Supercell in Kansas is heading east into Lane and Scott County with a monster hook.

5:00 PM CDT
New Tornado Warning up for Greene and Clark Counties in Ohio.

The Thunderstorm Team and Lou Ruh are closing in on the supercells northwest of Dodge City, Kansas. Check out their live streams!

4:30 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for 2 cells in Kansas including Logan, Wallace, and Wichita Kansas and Scott County in Kansas. Also a tornado warning in Greene County in Ohio.

3:20 PM CDT
Tornado Warning bearing down on the City of Birmingham, AL.

2:58 PM CDT
Dennis Sherrod is in the Tornado Warning coming into Birmingham, AL. Brett Adair is north of Birmingham on the other tornado warned cell.
ABC 33/40 CONTINUES LIVE COVERAGE (requires Real Player)

According to ABC 33/40, several reports of damage in Cullman, AL. Reports of houses damaged and even destroyed. Downtown Cullman businesses have several structural damage reports. Funnel cloud spotted over hospital.

2:42 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for Madison County, AL, including the city of Huntsville. Damage reports starting to come in.

2:31 PM CDT
Severe Thunderstorm Watch now in effect for western Kansas. Tornado Warning for Greely and Wichita counties in KS.

2:28 PM CDT - OVERVIEW
Here's an overview of the tornadic cells in Alabama at this hour:

2:13 PM CDT
Tornado Warning - Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker, AL. Could affect the Birmingham Metro area over the next couple hours. Cullman County, AL also under a Tornado Warning.

1:51 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for Fayette, Jefferson, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker counties in AL.

1:09 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for Lauderdale County, AL till 1:15 PM CDT ...AT 1257 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD WITH DEBRIS NEAR ROGERSVILLE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

1:06 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston counties in Alabama.

12:53 PM CDT
Things are changing rapidly. The line of storms across TN, AL, and MS seem to be splitting into little mini-supercells, especially across the northern half of the line. A new Tornado Watch has been issued for southern Tennessee, through Alabama, and into eastern Mississippi until 6:00 PM.

Tornado Warning now in effect for Franklin and Lawrence County, AL. A tornado touchdown was just reported from Colbert County, AL. Two homes sustained heavy damage near Leighton, AL.

Elsewhere, the atmosphere is primed for action along MS/AL border. The latest wording from the Birmingham National Weather Service office is ominous:
"...SHEAR ACROSS CENTRAL AL WILL REMAIN HIGHLY FAVORABLE FOR ROTATING STORMS WITHIN LINE... PLENTY OF CAPE AVAILABLE TO AGREE WITH SPC THAT ISOLATED TORNADOES...INCLUDING POSSIBILITY OF LONG TRACKS...ARE POSSIBLE"

12:36 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for the Alabama cell that crossed into Tennessee. Warning in effect for Lawrence and Wayne Counties, TN, until 1:00 PM.

Also, a new TOR issued for Colbert, Lawrence, and Lauderdale counties in AL.

And, here's the Latest Discussion from SPC. Tornadoes appear likely this afternoon in the MS/AL border region.

12:20 PM CDT
Tornado Warning for Lauderdale County, AL. Warning states that the storm caused damage near Oakland, AL.

More pictures from Tupelo, MS

10:40 AM CDT
Tornado Warning for Lee and Prentiss counties in Mississippi again. A little spin-up embedded in a line of storms near Baldwyn.

Meanwhile, the SPC has upgraded the tornado risk across eastern MS and northern/central AL to 10%, with "significant tornadoes" possible.

Also, here's a picture of some damage from Tupelo, MS. (Thanks ABC 33/40). Furniture store destroyed.

10:15 AM CDT
Tornado Warning cancelled, storm really evaporated. Now we have a little break before storms redevelop across central and northern Arkansas later today. Tornado Watch still in effect. Latest Discussion from SPC

SevereStreamers Brett Adair and Dennis Sherrod will be streaming later today.

9:33 AM CDT
Tornado Warning re-issued, extended until 10:15 AM for Colbert and Franklin counties in northwest Alabama.

9:08 AM CDT
Tornado Warnings still out in Mississippi and Alabama. WMC TV is streaming live here

8:44 AM CDT
Tornado Warning issued for the Alabama side of the border in anticipation of the tornadic storm crossing into Colbert and Franklin counties in the next few minutes. Tornado still reported on the ground.

8:30 AM CDT
Tornado Warning extended northeast for Itawamba, Lee, Prentiss, and Tishomingo Counties in Mississippi. Building damage being reported north of Tupelo.

8:16 AM CDT
Tornado Warning for Lee County, MS. A tornado was spotted near Tupelo.

8:05 AM CDT
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued two separate areas of Slight Risk today: One across Kansas and northern Oklahoma, and another from the mid-south to the east coast.

Already this morning, a Tornado Watch is in effect.

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

NORTHWEST ALABAMA
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 805 AM UNTIL
200 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.