Tornadoes Are More Powerful Than We Realize

The threat of severe thunderstorms is shifting east on this Friday afternoon as a cold front pushes toward the East Coast and the Gulf Coast.

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This same storm system spawned a deadly tornado Thursday in northern Illinois. While the tornado threat is considerably lower today, conditions are still favorable for at least a brief tornado or two over the Mid-Atlantic states this afternoon and evening.

(MORE: Severe Weather Forecast | TOR:CON Tornado Forecast | State-by-State News)

Here's what you need to know right now:

• A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 11 p.m. EDT for southeast Virginia and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This watch includes Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as Salisbury, Maryland.
• Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms have rumbled through Virginia, knocking down a few trees in parts of the state. West Point, Virginia, clocked a 55-mph wind gust Friday evening.
• A tree fell on a powerline near Piedmont Park in Atlanta, and trees were also reported down around the Emory University campus after a severe thunderstorm moved through Georgia's largest city early Friday evening.
• A funnel cloud was sighted from the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, shortly after 1 p.m. CDT. Spotty flash flooding was reported in the city as well.
• Strong winds on the back side of this storm system have knocked down trees near Buffalo, New York, where winds have gusted as high as 62 mph this afternoon.

Here's the latest on today's severe weather. Time stamps on the left are in Eastern time; subtract one hour for Central time. Click here or scroll down for current weather maps of the risk zone, including radar, watches and warnings.

(MORE: View National Interactive Radar Map | Difference Between a Watch and a Warning)
 

Satellite Image and Current Conditions

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