Sunday at 1:38 p.m. a tornado watch was was issued by the National Weather Service and will remain in effect until 9 p.m. in southwest and central Mississippi and portions of Louisiana.

This tornado watch is for Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Richland, Tensas, West Carroll, Adams, Attala, Copiah, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis,  Lawerence, Leake, Leflore, Lincoln, Montgomery, Neshoba, Okitibbeha, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Sunflowr, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winston and Yazoo parishes and counties.

TORNADO WATCH VS. TORNADO WARNING

Tornado watch: Be prepared.

A tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It’s your cue to review and discuss  your emergency plans, check your supplies and locate your safe room. While a watch doesn’t indicate an imminent tornado, it’s a heads-up to be ready to take swift action if a tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Tornado watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multipile counties, or even multiple states.

Tornado warning: Take action.

A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal: There’s an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be quick: Seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building away from windows.

If you’re in a mobile home, a vehicle or caught  outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or small county, where a tornado has been identified either by radar or by trained spotters and/or law enforcement.