The St. Louis metro is under a tornado warning this afternoon, and forecasters are telling anyone in the warning area to get to shelter immediately. The alert covers the City of St. Louis, parts of St. Louis County, St. Charles County and portions of southwestern Illinois, and was set to remain active into the early afternoon. Radar indicated rotation within the storm cell, and officials warned it could spin up damaging wind, quarter-size hail and dangerous flying debris.
According to the National Weather Service in St. Louis, "...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1:15 PM CDT," with Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois, along with St. Charles County, St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, all included in the warning polygon. The advisory was issued at about 12:39 p.m. CDT Monday.
At 12:39 p.m. CDT, the office reported that a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Vinita Park or Overland and was moving east at roughly 35 mph. Forecasters warned the storm would be near Vinita Park, University City, Pine Lawn, Normandy and several other neighborhoods and could affect stretches of I-64 and I-55, according to the National Weather Service in St. Louis.
Why Forecasters Say The Risk Is High Today
The Storm Prediction Center and local meteorologists flagged a volatile setup across the mid-Mississippi Valley, raising the odds that any storms that manage to organize could quickly turn severe. Weather.com noted that the SPC had placed parts of Missouri and Illinois under a "4 out of 5" severe threat for the day, and the Associated Press reported that tens of millions across the Midwest were under various watches and warnings as storms pushed through the region.
How To Shelter And What Alerts To Watch
If you are inside the warning polygon, move to an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows, and cover yourself with heavy blankets or a mattress. Vehicles and mobile homes are not considered safe shelter in this kind of storm.
The City of St. Louis Emergency Management office notes that outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert people who are outside, not indoors, and recommends signing up for NotifySTL to receive direct messages, according to the City Emergency Management Agency. Local TV stations, including KSDK, were providing live coverage as the warning moved across the metro area.
Hoodline will update this post if new National Weather Service statements are issued or if damage reports are confirmed. Background on the broader severe weather setup is available in our earlier local briefing. Keep an eye on official NWS products and local broadcasters for the latest information.
