…PRELIMINARY SURVEY RESULTS FROM STORM DAMAGE IN CORSICANA THIS MORNING…

STAFF FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH SURVEYED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE IN CORSICANA THIS MORNING AND DETERMINED THAT A TORNADO CAUSED THE MOST CONCENTRATED DAMAGE IN WEST-CENTRAL CORSICANA AROUND 830 AM CDT. THE TORNADO HAD A PRELIMINARY PATH LENGTH OF AROUND FOUR-TENTHS OF A MILE…WITH A PATH WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. APPROXIMATELY TEN STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED…INCLUDING THE LEE ACADEMY SCHOOL…WHERE PART OF THE ROOF WAS REMOVED. SEVERAL TREES AND LARGE LIMBS WERE ALSO DOWNED. THIS TORNADO WILL BE RATED EF-1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH.

The photos below are from Jim and Cathy Miller and we thank them for sending in their pictures. This shows you the kind of flooding they were dealing with in the western and northwestern parts of Central Texas. Remember, you email us your weather photos to weatherpics@kxxv.com.

Picture of pasture next to the Lampasas River at the intersection of 581 and 281.

Picture of the Lampasas River raging past. Normally a trickle.

Hay field, now a lake at least 3-4 feet deep. Fences washed out.

Sorry for not posting in the blog this morning, but as you know, it has been a busy day. We had reported of damage from a possible tornado in Williamson county, near Georgetown. A storm spotter in Walnut Springs reported an 80 mph wind gust around 5:20 AM. And the town of Evant was hit hard with flash flooding. Reports from the National Weather Service said water was covering HWY 84 in Evant and several families had to be evacuated due to high water.

The good news is the severe threat has diminished for today, but flooding is still a big concern. Light to moderate rain will likely continue into the afternoon, adding to our rainfall totals. We have already seen close to 6 inches across our northwest counties, so anymore rain could cause more flooding. Remember to be careful while driving and never cross a flooded roadway. More storms are possible Tuesday and through the week, so tune in tonight for the latest on your forecast. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

Tornado Watch in effect until 3 AM for San Saba county. We are keeping an eye on the storms across southwest Texas, from Junction to San Angelo. The bigger storm along I-10 is moving east, southeast and will probably stay south of us. However, more storms are developing back behind it and more is expected to develop shortly after midnight. The reason nothing has really exploded is a weak cap we still have in the atmosphere. Once this cap breaks, as the next disturbance moves through, more storms will develop. So we are not out of the woods yet and will probably see a watch issued overnight. Stay tuned! — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

Storms are on going from west Texas, through the central Plains, all the way up to Wisconsin! Not only that, but they are all Tornado Watches that stretch all the way through tornado alley. We are focused on the storms out west that will continue marching our way. Current thinking is the storms will move into western areas, around San Saba/Lampasas, between 10PM and midnight. Then over spread into the I-35 corridor early in the morning. Large hail, gusty winds, lightning, and isolated tornadoes are all threats. We will be here all night tracking the storms. You can follow us on Twitter as well at twitter.com/FirstAlert25WX. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

There is a slight risk for severe storms tonight across our northwestern counties. Mainly from a Burnet, Killeen, Waco, Coriscana line and points northwest. Storms are expected to develop over west Texas this afternoon, and form into a complex of storms. This complex will roll into our area by later this evening and during the overnight hours. Large hail and gusty winds are the main threats, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. More storms will be possible Monday afternoon so stay tuned for the latest updates. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

A severe weather watch will be coming shortly for most Central Texas, according to the latest discussion from the Severe Prediction Center. As we continue heating up this afternoon, numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop and some will turn strong to severe. The main threats will be large hail, but isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Stay with kxxv.com for the latest on severe weather and do not forget you can follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FirstAlert25WX for more coverage. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

We are tracking the threat of a few storms on Friday afternoon. An small, upper level disturbance will be coming out of Mexico moving across Central Texas. This will cause a few storms to fire as the air becomes unstable by the afternoon. Looking at the severe weather parameters, we may see some stronger storms capable of producing large hail, gusty winds, and lightning. As of now, the severe weather will probably be isolated but we will have to watch closely. These kind of events are notorious for turning into active weather days.

5 day rain totals forecast from NWS

Over the weekend, we are tracking a cold front that may enter the region by late Sunday into Monday. It is expected to stall out somewhere between the DFW area and San Antonio. Depending on exactly where the front stops will be where the heaviest rain will fall. The graphic above shows a bulls eye of over 5 inches north of us in Oklahoma. However, if the front comes farther south into Central Texas, that bulls eye will be shifted southward. Either way, we could see another round of heavy rain next week, which should put another big dent in the drought conditions. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

Earth day is April 22nd this year but what is this day all about? In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States. This is also when President Nixon created the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, to research, monitor, and enforce environmental issues. Since then, we have come along way with ways to protect the Earth. I remember as a kid, learning about the reduce, reuse, and recycle program and saving those aluminum cans, papers, and plastics. Current times are pushing for more energy efficient products for the home and office. Of course, cars are included and I can’t wait to see what types of vehicles we will be driving 20-30 years from now. We all need to do our part save energy so on Earth Day this year, I hope you decide to start recycling, replacing light bulbs with energy efficient ones, or do whatever you can to help extend the life of our planet. For more information, check out the links below. By the way, we will save the topic of global warming for another day! — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

History of Earth Day
Ideas for your Home
Earth Day activities for kids