Return to Transcripts main page

Breaking News

Severe Weather in Iowa

Aired April 11, 2001 - 13:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: We are keeping close eyes on a severe weather situation in Iowa. Two tornadoes reported on the ground near Des Moines. Let's go back to Orelon Sidney.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks a lot. We have tornado warnings now for Dallas County, Polk County, the City of Des Moines, and Warren County in Iowa until 1:30 p.m. Weather Service Doppler is indicating a tornado 20 miles southwest of Indianolo or about 29 miles southwest of Des Moines. This storm is moving to the North at about 55 miles an hour.

Here's where we expect the storm to be, near West Des Moines about Des Moines around 1:00 p.m., near Johnston around 1:20, and around Ankeny around 1:25.

This storm continues to be move very rapidly to the North. We're showing a very clear super cell right now on our radar here in the CNN Weather Center. It is very well defined, and it is dangerous. You should take cover if you are in these counties -- Dallas, Polk, and Warren. That warning in effect until 1:30.

Back to the West, near Omaha, we have a second tornado warning for Pottawattamie County. That's this area here. Notice the squall line showing up just to the south of Omaha. Strong rotation showing up in some of these thunderstorms. And Doppler has indicated a tornado near Glenwood, Iowa, and a second tornado near Emerson, Iowa, moving north at about 40 miles an hour.

Public has reported funnel clouds at these locations. If you are near this area, you can expect a tornado at Treynor at 12:55 and Oakland around 12:55. To repeat. That is a tornado warning for Pottawattamie County until 1:15.

We continue also with two other warnings -- forgive me if I get my papers all jammed up here -- but Mills County, Iowa and also Madison County, Iowa have tornado warnings until 1:15. Again, a very, very strong signature here. You can't miss this one heading off to the North at about 55 miles an hour. Here's Interstate 80. This is where Des Moines is located, and so over the next 10 minutes or so, wwe could see this tornado moving into the southern suburbs of Des Moines. I cannot tell you how extremely dangerous this situation is. If you are in the path of this storm, you need to take cover immediately. We have numerous thunderstorms continuing to push their way through the Midwest, courtesy of a strong storm system across the plains. Here, of course, our super cell that we're watching south of Des Moines. Here a squall line with a very strong thunderstorm showing up off to the east of Omaha.

And we have a new tornado watch that has been issued. This is just going to keep going all evening long. This is not going to stop anytime soon. A new tornado watch -- excuse me -- has just been issued for the St. Louis area, going up into parts and of Missouri and Illinois. That's going to be in effect until 7:00 p. m.

This is a particularly dangerous situation. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center puts out particularly dangerous situations for storms such as the one we're seeing around Des Moines, again in effect until 7:00 p. m.

The other watches -- severe thunderstorm watch for the Little rock area and to the North up until 3:00 p.m., also including the Kansas City area in a tornado watch until 3:00 p.m., Omaha in a tornado watch box until 4:00 p.m., Des Moines until 5:00 p.m. And the new tornado watch in effect for the St. Louis area and to the North until 7:00 p.m.

This is really a developing weather situation. We're going to be watching this very closely throughout the afternoon and into this evening -- Lou and Natalie.

WATERS: All right. Orelon closely watching that tornado. It's something that you need to pay close attention to.

ALLEN: We certainly will.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com