Tornado Watch in Effect for Lexington until 3am, Saturday 7/21

John Bobel

July 19, 2018

At 7:15pm on Friday, the Tornado Watch was extended to 3am on Saturday, July 21.

A Severe Thunderstorm WARNING is in effect until 5:30pm.  Flood advisory for tonight.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado WATCH until 9pm on Friday, July 20.  Please note the protective actions mentioned below.

The National Weather Service is predicting the likely probability of strong storms tomorrow (Friday, July 20, 2018) in Lexington.  These storms will arrive in the afternoon and continue through the evening.   These thunderstorms are predicted to produce rain, wind, hail and lightning.  The most likely damage will be from wind and hail.

Here’s the latest briefing from the National Weather Service

Take these actions before the storms arrive:

• Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
• Secure loose gutters and shutters.
• Identify an interior room of your house, such as a basement or interior bathroom, that you can take shelter in during high wind warnings.
• If you live in a mobile home, identify a sturdy building you can go to if NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm warning.
• Update your emergency kit and be sure to include enough food and water to last for 3 days for each person in your home.
• Make a list of items outside your home you will need to tie down or put away so that they don’t blow away or fly through a window. When NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm watch, immediately secure these items to avoid damage or injury once the wind starts picking up.\

When the storms come:

• Immediately go inside a sturdy building during a high wind warning or severe thunderstorm warning and move to an interior room or basement.
• If you are in a mobile home, move to a sturdy building before the winds pick up or the storm system reaches your location.
• Listen to the local news or NOAA Weather Radio for updates.
• If you’re outside or driving, take shelter in your car if you are not near a sturdy building. If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building. Otherwise, move your car to a location where it is less likely to be hit by falling trees or power lines.
• If no shelter is available avoid trees, power lines, and the side of the road. Keep in mind that power lines that are laying on the ground may be live. Do not go near them! Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
• If you are driving and aren’t near a sturdy building, hold the steering wheel with both hands and slow down.
• Keep a distance from high profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers. One strong gust of wind can be enough to flip one of these trailers onto its side.

After the storms:

• Do not go near downed power lines. Report downed power lines to the police.
• Report power outages to your utility company.  Kentucky Utilities/KU     Blue Grass Energy/BGE
• Continue to listen to the local news and NOAA Weather Radio for updates following the storm.
• If you lose power and are using a generator, be sure to review generator safety tips.
• Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.

Here’s more about staying safe during high wind events.