Severe Weather - 4/10/08

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Video from April 10, 2008 SevereStudios storm chase in Arkansas and Tennessee.

2:40 AM CDT - 4/11
Epic Bust on Thursday in AR/MO/TN. Saw many updrafts, many wall clouds and lots of rotation, but nothing ever came of it. Will be posting pictures and videos at a later date.

8:40 PM CDT
Ben is reporting some damage near Spring Creek, TN. Highway 152 southeast of Spring Creek is closed due to power lines and possible other damage. Multiple ambulances seen en route to area.

Meanwhile, a tornado has touched down in southern Iowa. Read the News Story

8:05 PM CDT
Ben is in an area that the SPC has outlined for "increasing tornado threat". If he gets discreet cells, tornadoes are possible. His camera is still down.

6:45 PM CDT
SevereStudios Chaser Ben Holcomb is near Gates, TN. He is core-punching a storm to get a look into the radar indicated inflow notch. Ben had a rotating wall cloud about fifteen minutes ago, about 100 feet of the ground.

5:27 PM CDT
Ben is chasing a severe storm north of Memphis, TN. His camera will not work with his laptop, so unfortunately, we do not have video from him. However, I am giving updates in the chat room.

5:00 PM CDT
A new Tornado Watch is issued for portions of IL IN KY MO MS TN.

4:35 PM CDT - UPDATE
Dennis Sherrod is near Blytheville, AR. Cells are moving VERY fast today making it hard to catch up.
Watch Dennis' Live Video

SevereStudios chaser Ben Holcomb is near Memphis, TN with good dewpoints and surface winds, but some missing ingredient that is keeping storms from producing. He's also having data and camera issues.
Watch Ben's Live Video

2:45 PM CDT
Ben is in Cross County, AR. He has lowerings on the camera.

2:15 PM CDT
Ben is on his way to intercept a severe storm in Woodruff County, AR.

Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a statement saying supercell and tornado potential is increasing in AR/KY/MO:
PROBABILITY OF RELATIVELY DISCRETE STORMS -- INDICATE POTENTIAL IS INCREASING NOT JUST FOR TORNADOES BUT FOR A FEW TO BECOME SIGNIFICANT/DAMAGING...GIVEN SUSTAINED/CYCLIC SUPERCELLS.

1:00 PM CDT
SevereStudios chaser Ben Holcomb has crossed into northeast Arkansas. He is now in the heart of the Moderate Risk and 15% Tornado Threat.

12:35 AM CDT
SevereStreamer Dennis Sherrod is chasing after a severe storm cell near Augusta, Arkansas.

11:38 AM CDT
Tornadic circulation passed just to the east of Little Rock, AR. Not as strong as earlier, which is good news for the LZK metro.

11:13 AM CDT
Tornado Warning for Saline, Lonoke, and Pulaski County, AR, including the city of Little Rock.

KATV is Streaming Live

10:53 AM CDT
Ben is almost to the bootheel of Missouri. Will pass through and keep heading toward Arkansas on I-55.

Tornado Warning in effect to the southwest of Little Rock, AR. Strong rotation is embedded in a messy looking storm in Grant and Saline counties. Little Rock may be under the gun in an hour or so.

9:40 AM CDT
SevereStudios chaser Ben Holcomb is heading south toward Jonesboro, AR. New Tornado Watches are expected soon for the supercells that are expected to regenerate in the Moderate Risk area today.

Here's the latest from the Memphis National Weather Service, which covers portions of northeast Missouri, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee:
"...SURFACE HEATING WILL ALLOW THE AIRMASS OVER MUCH OF THE MID SOUTH TO BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE. AS LARGE SCALE LIFT OVERSPREADS THE HIGHLY SHEARED AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE, EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. ANY STORMS THAT CAN DEVELOP WILL BECOME SEVERE QUICKLY AND BE CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS, LARGE HAIL, AND TORNADOES. A FEW STRONG TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS."

Ben Will be streaming video later along with updating his position on SpotterNetwork. Look for "SevereStudios.com WX8BEN". He's currently approaching Marion, IL.

7:43 AM CDT
Just getting showers taken and the car loaded back up here in a minute. Will be grabbing a quick bite to eat and heading south towards Jonesboro, AR. Some tor warned cells right now in the bootheel of MO, but the bigger picture will be later tonight. --Ben