More Severe Weather Expected

(I apologize for the late update. I got home overnight and had a few hours of sleep before Lilly Faith woke me up this morning jabbering. Work may cease for a few hours but motherhood never does.)

The town of Magee is a mess. You've seen the video and pictures on WLBT and heard some of their stories. Other towns were affected by Thursday morning's tornadoes. Most had structural damage, power lines and trees down. Most of the severe weather stayed to our south last night although we had our fair share of tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings. We knew last night's weather would stay south of I-20 and it did. Now to tonight's forecast.

It doesn't look any better. Most locations will top out into the upper 70s/lower 80s this afternoon which will help destabilize the atmosphere. Combine that with a strong jet stream and cold front nearly parallel to each other and we have all modes of severe weather possible this evening and overnight. Whereas last night's weather was confined farther south, tonight's episode will include all of the WLBT viewing area. Here is the NWS graphical depiction of tonight's weather:

With last night's tornado warnings, I had to break into programming and commercials a few times. It is WLBT's policy to keep the public safe no matter what. When I broke in, I made sure to keep the updates quick and precise. But some viewers weren't too happy with me, including this one.

Look, you could have waited 30 seconds for your interruption with the tornado. Some of us actually watch The Office. Tonight was a new episode.....you interrupted just before the ending, which we had waited for the entire show. I also watch the weather, but how insensitive of you to knock out the last 30 seconds of The Office! We're pretty much inundated with weather, anyway. Next time please have more consideration for your audience. Signed, Pat Welch

Please quit cutting in during the main part of a TV show just to tell everyone in Jackson that it is raining in Osyka, MS. I'm sure both people in Osyka were watching WLBT at that particular moment. You never cut in during a commercial only the show. You cut in right at the end of the season finale of The Office. Now I have to wait until tomorrow to watch it on line. Next time just put a little map in the corner and a crawl across the bottom of the screen. We don't need to be bombarded with Barbie all night about rain in Pike County, MS. The probably watch the NBC affiliate out of New Orleans any way. Signed, Michael Long

Just between you and me, I didn't even think about what I was interrupting. I was more concerned with getting the information out about the possible tornado in Amite & Pike Counties. I know viewers may think I sit around perched like a mountain lion when severe weather is occurring and that I carefully and stealthfully wait until the end of a program and then BAM! I jump in and ruin the show for everyone with a weather update. No, I'm not that intentional and having seen and heard about the lives changed in Simpson County, that was my concern last night. Waiting until the show was over may have been too late for one family. As one of my co-workers put it: some viewers think it's their world and you're just living in it. I would hope that isn't really the case.

I do hope we are ALL prepared for what *could* happen overnight. I'll be with you throughout the evening and into Saturday morning. Have your weather radio on and we'll welcome the sunshine this weekend!