Possible tornadoes? No foolin’!

It's NOT an April Fool's Day joke as a multi-day dangerous severe storm threat unfolds in the first few days of April. Storms are expected in the country's middle from the Southern Plains to the lower Missouri and Ohio River Valley regions.

The Storm Prediction Center has defined a "moderate" (level 4 out of 5) storm risk which extends from northern Oklahoma to St. Louis, outlined in the red shading below:

Storms with tornadoes, damaging wind, and large hail are expected, impacting nearly 50 million people. Cities affected include Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Springfield (MO), and St. Louis.

Moderate risks are rare, and this is the first one issued in 2024. It is a sign that the right ingredients are present in the atmosphere to produce strong tornadoes with winds over 110 mph and hail as large as baseballs. If you live in the orange or red-shaded areas above, you need to be especially vigilant this afternoon and tonight as the storm risks unfold.

On Tuesday, the threat shifts east, including more of the Ohio River and the Tennessee River Valleys, where there is another moderate severe weather risk, again highlighted in the red shading below:

This time, cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, and Huntsville are among the places that could have storms containing tornadoes, damaging wind, and large hail. As with Monday's threat, Tuesday's tornadoes could be categorized as "strong", with EF-2 intensity of winds over 110 mph. Also, these storms will likely evolve during the day and last into the evening.

Is YOUR business ready?

Coming off a holiday weekend, these storms may catch some off guard. How up-to-date are your business continuity plans, and is your team ready in case disaster strikes?

WeatherCall, a service for businesses, and HazardCall, a companion product that helps manufactured home communities, have already begun notifying clients in the risk area to prepare.

This service is unique because it can reach you in three different ways: phone calls, texts, and emails. In addition, this life-saving service warns you with visual radar displays to see the threats and clear messaging to know when to act. Finally, you get the "all-clear" to see when the danger passes and resume operations, reducing downtime and lost revenue.

Does your business have access to this kind of business continuity tool? If you need help, let us help you prepare.

·???????? Learn more about WeatherCall Enterprise solutions for business, including integration to fire control panels, from this link HERE.

·???????? Learn more about HazardCall solutions for manufactured home communities from this link HERE.

·???????? Learn more about HazardCall for RV, a solution to keep you safe while camping or in your RV, from this link HERE, and our NEW outdoor alarm for tornadoes and lightning, HazardAlarm, from this link HERE.

If you'd like to discuss your current severe weather plans and learn about your options, please contact me at [email protected].

Gene Norman is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and consultant for WeatherCall. This nationwide company offers?WeatherCall?Enterprise, providing businesses with weather information needed to make critical safety decisions and?HazardCall. In addition, this app lets property managers reach residents with urgent messages and site-specific weather alerts.