BULLETIN, 6:45 p.m.: Sirens are currently going off in Prestonsburg, as the National Weather Service has issued a TORNADO WARNING until 7:15 p.m. for northern Floyd County, including Prestonsburg, West Prestonsburg, Emma and Auxier.
Residents in the affected area are urged to seek shelter immediately! If you are in a car, mobile home or outdoors, find an interior room on the lowest level in the nearest strong structure, away from windows and doors.
A strong and extremely deadly tornado is on the ground NOW near Salyersville.
BULLETIN, 6:40 p.m.: While one weather system that has produced at least one confirmed tornado has tracked north of Floyd County, several other systems to the west and southwest could possibly move this way.
There is currently no Tornado Warning for Floyd County, but the county does remain under a Tornado Watch until midnight.
The Floyd County Times will continue monitoring the situation and will provide updates as long as possible.
BULLETIN, 6:15 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning across a wide swath of the state, including nearby Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Lawrence counties, until 7 p.m.
Doppler radar showed a confirmed tornado near West Liberty, moving east at 60 mph.
Residents in the warning area are urged to take cover in a sturdy structure (not a mobile home or vehicle) now, and to avoid windows.
BULLETIN, 4:30 p.m.: Floyd County and the rest of Eastern Kentucky have been added to a statewide Tornado Watch. According to the National Weather Service, the region is on notice that weather conditions are creating a significant risk of tornadoes until midnight.
A tornado watch does not mean that any tornadoes have been spotted or are imminent. In the event conditions worsen, the alert would be upgraded to a Tornado Warning.
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FIRST REPORT, 9 a.m.: On the heels of powerful storms that caused destruction across many parts of the state and nation Wednesday, another line of severe weather is developing over Kentucky and headed straight for the Big Sandy region.
As it now stands, the National Weather Service has already issued a Flash Flood Watch for all of Eastern Kentucky, until late tonight. Weather analysts are concerned that the ground has not had sufficient time to dry from Wednesday's storms, meaning heavy rains today will not be able to soak in and will overwhelm creeks and ditches.
In addition, the region is under a slight risk of extreme weather conditions, similar to those on Wednesday.
The Floyd County Times will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as conditions change.
UPDATE, 12:55 p.m.: The worst of the severe weather continues to get closer to the Big Sandy Valley, as tornado warnings have been issued as close as Knox, Whitley, Harlan and Bell counties, in Kentucky, and in the Appalachian portions of Virginia and Tennessee. Thus far, only occasionally heavy rain showers and thunderstorms have made it to Floyd County.
The worst of the weather is not expected until later this evening for Floyd County, although isolated severe weather events could occur before then.
UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: The National Weather Service has now placed 74 counties in Kentucky under a Tornado Watch, although Floyd and surrounding counties still remain only in a Flash Flood Watch.
Counties under the Tornado Watch include Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Bracken, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Campbell, Carroll, Casey, Clark, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mason, McCreary, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Metcalf, Monroe, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Scott, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Woodford.
UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for Fayette, Jessamine and Woodford counties, until 5:15 p.m. People in that area are advised to take cover now.
UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.: The Tornado Warning has now been moved to Bath, Estill, Menifee, Montgomery and Powell counties, until 5:45 p.m. The National Weather Service reports this is a very dangerous storm and advises anyone in those areas to take cover in a sturdy structure immediately.







