KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Starting Monday, five National Weather Service offices in Missouri and Kansas will begin a test of a new kind of severe weather warning that’s based on the severity of a storm’s expected impact.

Currently, warnings for storms of different scales look similar. Below are two tornado warnings that were issued last May, the first on May 22 before an EF-5 tornado killed 161 people in Joplin, Mo., and the second May 25 as weak tornadoes headed toward downtown Kansas City and caused only minor damage.

Also included is an example of the new style of warning, which would be issued in a potentially deadly tornado such as the one that hit Joplin. Starting Monday, the warnings will include enhanced language designed to inform the public about the potential impact of an oncoming storm.

May 22, 2011. Joplin.

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

TORNADO WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO

517 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A

 

(asterisk) TORNADO WARNING FOR…

NORTHWESTERN NEWTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI…

SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS…

SOUTHWESTERN JASPER COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI…

 

(asterisk) UNTIL 600 PM CDT.

 

(asterisk) AT 514 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A

TORNADO NEAR RIVERTON…OR 4 MILES NORTH OF BAXTER SPRINGS… MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

 

(asterisk) LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BAXTER SPRINGS…CLIFF VILLAGE…DENNIS

ACRES…DIAMOND…DUENWEG…DUQUESNE…FIDELITY…GALENA…IRON

GATES…JOPLIN…LEAWOOD…LOWELL…REDINGS MILL…RIVERTON…

SAGINAW…SHOAL CREEK DRIVE…SHOAL CREEK ESTATES…SHOAL CREEK

ESTATE AND SILVER CREEK.

 

INTERSTATE 44 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 13 WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED BY

THIS TORNADO.

 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

 

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS

AVAILABLE…SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN

INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

 

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES…EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A

SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE…LIE FLAT IN THE

NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

May 25, 2011, near Kansas City:

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

TORNADO WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO

1057 AM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

(asterisk) TORNADO WARNING FOR…

SOUTHEASTERN JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS…

NORTHEASTERN MIAMI COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS…

NORTHWESTERN CASS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI…

(asterisk) UNTIL 1115 AM CDT

(asterisk) AT 1052 AM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS

STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LOUISBURG…AND MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

(asterisk) LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

BELTON…CLEVELAND…BUCYRUS…STILLWELL AND STANLEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A

STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME…A VEHICLE OR

OUTDOORS…MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT

YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

New Tornado Emergency Warning:

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

HAZARD…DEADLY TORNADO.

SOURCE…EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFIRMED LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.

IMPACT…COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS IS LIKELY. MANY WELL BUILT HOMES AND BUSINESSES WILL BE COMPLETELY SWEPT FROM THEIR FOUNDATIONS. DEBRIS WILL BLOCK MOST ROADWAYS. MASS DEVASTATION IS HIGHLY LIKELY MAKING THE AREA UNRECOGNIZABLE TO SURVIVORS. TORNADO MAY BE UN-SURVIVABLE IF SHELTER IS NOT SOUGHT BELOW GROUND LEVEL.

TORNADO…OBSERVED

TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT…CATASTROPHIC

HAIL…2.50IN

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