Tornado Watch for Toledo Bend, Outlook is Particularly Dangerous

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has issued a Tornado Watch for a large portion of central and northern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and central Mississippi until 7 p.m.

The watch area includes Toledo Bend Reservoir, but none of the adjacent Texas counties are in the watch area. However, forecasters with the Storm Prediction Center still consider Deep East Texas to be in an area that could see strong to severe storms throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening.  Some of these storms could produce damaging winds and/or tornadoes.

In addition to issuing the tornado watch, meteorologists have advised persons living in this zone that this is a 'Particularly Dangerous Situation'. Basically, that means that the atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of the following:

• Numerous tornadoes along with a few intense tornadoes
• Long-track tornadoes are also possible in the watch area
• Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter are likely
• Scattered damaging straight-line wind gusts to 70 mph are likely

Several tornado warnings have already been issued early this afternoon for areas north and northeast of Lake Charles.

As of 1 p.m., only a few, widely-scattered light to moderate showers have developed across the Pineywoods. However, the National Weather Service in Shreveport expects thunderstorms to develop across Deep East Texas as the afternoon progresses.

We have a 60-70% chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Even though the greatest threat of a tornado outbreak is focused eastward into Louisiana, persons living in East Texas should remain alert. The Storm Prediction Center still shows portions of the Pineywoods to have favorable conditions for severe weather.