Evansville, Ind. – Now available in both Apple® and Android® app stores and just in time for storm season, the free Vectren mobile app gives customers another channel for submitting and obtaining electric outage information. By downloading and installing the app, customers can quickly report or view electric outages, access safety information, read the latest Vectren news releases and find helpful contact numbers for the company all from the convenience of a mobile device. 

“Reporting electric outages is critical to help Vectren pinpoint the source and expedite restoration,” said Jon Luttrell, Vectren’s vice president of information technology and customer service. “The free Vectren app makes this process even easier.” 

Customers have the ability to login to their Vectren.com account via the app, making reporting an outage merely a few clicks away. The app also allows customers to request a call back once power has been restored. Additionally, customers can report issues with trees and power lines, review Vectren’s restoration process, get helpful storm tips and learn about generator safety. 

“The nice thing about being able to report outages via the Vectren app is that mobile devices are often the only communication tools that still work during power outages,” added Luttrell. 

Vectren customers have the opportunity to win the smartphone of their choice (up to $650 value) by downloading the app on a mobile device and/or following @VectrenStorm on Twitter before June 30, 2013. Complete contest details and app download links are available at www.vectren.com/outage. 

While the initial app is focused on electric outage reporting, additional functionality is in development, including the capability to pay Vectren bills. 


SOURCE: Vectren News Release

*UPDATED 7:00 p.m. 04/18/13 -  It appears that our phone lines are back up. KVWX/KHPX radar data and NOAA Wx Radio should be operating properly.

*UPDATED 3:55 p.m. 04/18/13 -  The phone company found the problem and are currently working on the issue. Estimated time: an hour and a half before our lines are back up.

*ORIGINAL POST - FROM THE NWS - PADUCAH: DUE TO A MAJOR TELECOMMUNICATION OUTAGE (FIBER OPTIC CUT) SOME OF THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH, KENTUCKY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. 

ALL WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH ARE BEING TRANSMITTED OUT OF THE OFFICE. THE CURRENT WARNINGS, STATEMENTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS ARE ALSO BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH WEB PAGE AND THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS. HOWEVER, THE LATEST RADAR DISPLAYS FOR THE EVANSVILLE INDIANA AND FORT CAMPBELL RADARS ARE BEING DELAYED DUE TO THE TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS. 

IN ADDITION, NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTERS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA WILL BE IMPACTED AND MAY NOT ACTIVATE YOUR WEATHER RADIOS. 

 PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS AS WELL AS THE INTERNET FOR THE LATEST STATUS OF ACTIVE WATCHES, WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS DURING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. IF YOU SEE SEVERE STORMS APPROACHING YOUR AREA BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CAN SAFELY REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR STORM DAMAGE PLEASE FORWARD YOUR INFORMATION TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR YOUR COUNTY. 

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO RESOLVE THIS TELECOMMUNICATION ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

From the Gibson County Sheriff's Office: The weather siren on the east side of Princeton is not working at this time. Service provider is waiting on the parts

Due to the possibility of severe weather tonight, April 10, 2013, we would like to take this time and advise the public that the weather siren near Dike Addition, east side of Princeton near the old Patoka Twsp Fire Station, is not working at this time. 

We are waiting on the service provider to install the parts once they come in. As a reminder, keep tuned to local media for possible warnings that may occur.

FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
VINCENNES, Ind. – A winter storm is expected to drop a variety of precipitation types across the state later today into Wednesday. It is anticipated the storm will mainly be rain; Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) crews have begun pre-treating bridges, ramps and roadways with salt brine, an anti-icing solution.  

INDOT will continue to monitor developing forecasts, as well as its statewide network of road and bridge pavement sensors, to deploy the needed personnel, equipment and materials ahead of any predicted accumulation. INDOT’s top winter priority is to plow and treat its more than 30,000 lane miles of interstates, U.S. highways and state routes. 

As the storm moves across the state, motorists may find themselves sharing the roadway with INDOT plows, especially during the evening commute. INDOT asks drivers to give snow plows room to operate. Don’t tailgate or try to pass as the roadway will be clearer behind the snow plow than in front of it. Drivers are reminded to accelerate gradually, drive slowly, brake early and allow greater distance between you and the car in front of you.  

Motorists are encouraged to keep an eye on evolving weather forecasts. Plan ahead by visiting www.trafficwise.in.gov or by dialing toll-free 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) for updated Indiana travel information, including road conditions, road closures, construction information and other traffic alerts.


FROM THE KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET:
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews are gearing up to respond to an extended period of snow showers that are expected to move across the region overnight.  

At this time, we are expecting the heavier bands of snow beginning around 10 p.m. and continuing through about 9:00 a.m., CST, on Wednesday morning.  This could create hazardous driving conditions during the overnight hours and on the morning commute.  

Crews in the 11 counties of KYTC District 2 will maintain some personnel on alert with trucks loaded and ready to roll through the evening hours.  Additional crew members will be reporting as the snow ramps up and temperatures drop during the overnight hours. Based on temperature expectations, our main concern is slick spots on bridges and overpasses.  Winds overnight are expected in the 25 mile per hour range, creating an additional driving hazard.  In some heavier snow showers blowing snow could create hamper visibility. Motorists are reminded to closely monitoring the weather forecast and changing weather conditions as these snow showers move through. 

Timely traffic advisories for the 11 counties of KYTC Highway District 2 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict2.  You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.

WEATHER ALERT: Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 6pm this evening to 6am Wednesday. 

Counties included: Gibson, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Henderson & Daviess. Including the cities of Fort Branch, Petersburg, Poseyville, Evansville, Boonville, Rockport, Henderson and Owensboro. 

248 PM CST TUE MAR 5 2013
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY. THIS ADVISORY IS FOR SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE HENDERSON AND OWENSBORO AREAS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY.

* SNOWFALL: SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AROUND ONE INCH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE HENDERSON, OWENSBORO AREAS. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE IN PIKE AND SPENCER COUNTIES WHERE UP TO TWO INCHES COULD FALL. 

* TIMING: THE FIRST ROUND OF SNOW WILL END THIS AFTERNOON WITH UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW ON GRASSY AREAS. ANOTHER MORE SIGNIFICANT ROUND OF SNOW WILL OCCUR TONIGHT MOSTLY BETWEEN 9 PM AND 3 AM. THIS ROUND OF SNOW IS MORE LIKELY TO ACCUMULATE ON PAVED SURFACES.

* MAIN IMPACT: ROADS MAY BECOME SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE USUALLY FIRST TO BECOME SLIPPERY.

* OTHER IMPACTS: STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE SNOW TO BLOW ACROSS ROADWAYS POTENTIALLY REDUCING VISIBILITY. THE WINDS MAY ALSO MAKE VEHICLE HANDLING MORE DIFFICULT.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS:
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

SOURCE: NWS - Paducah

Be a Force of Nature: National Severe Weather Preparedness Week
March 3-9, 2013. Know your risk. Take action. Be an example.

New: Presidential Message for National Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2013

During this week, NOAA and FEMA are highlighting the importance of planning and practicing how and where to take shelter before severe weather strikes. Being prepared to act quickly can be a matter of life and death.

Being a force of nature goes beyond taking appropriate preparedness action. It’s about inspiring others to do the same. We’re asking people not only to be prepared, but also to encourage their social network to act by texting, tweeting, or posting a Facebook status update.

BE A FORCE OF NATURE TOOLKIT - GET INVOLVED:
You, too, can Be a Force of Nature in your community. Tweet, write a blog post, develop a presentation – we have everything you need to get started. Be a local hero and spread the word about preparing for severe weather.

Talking Points
Get the facts about how severe weather impacts everyone – and how to prepare for it.

Blog Post
Download and customize for use on your blog.

Press Release
Issue a press release on the themes of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Op-Ed
Submit an opinion piece to your local newspaper.

Social Media Tools 
Learn how to share your severe weather preparation plans through Twitter and Facebook.

Presentation
Make a presentation to a local group on National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Public Service Announcement
Be a Force of Nature with this public service announcement.

Poster
Download and share the 2013 National Severe Weather Preparedness Week poster.

Be a Force of Nature Logo
Download the Be a Force of Nature graphic for your website.

SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS IN YOUR STATE: 
Many states have their own severe weather preparedness weeks. Check the Weather Awareness Events Calendar to find yours.


SOURCE: National Weather Service

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
248 PM CST THU JAN 31 2013

STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO BRING QUICK SWATH OF SNOW LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR QUICK BURSTS OF SNOW...POSSIBLY LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. 
* LIGHT SNOW SHOULD BEGIN FALLING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS SNOW COULD QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES IN BANDS ACROSS THE REGION. THIS AREA OF PRECIPITATION WILL RAPIDLY MOVE EAST INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA EARLY TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY TAPER OFF JUST AS QUICKLY AS IT BEGAN OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI EARLY TONIGHT...THEN END OVER THE REST OF THE REGION BY AROUND MIDNIGHT.
* THE MAIN IMPACT WILL COME WITH BURSTS OF LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW IN EAST TO WEST BANDING PRECIPITATION. WHERE...AND HOW NARROW OR THICK THESE BANDS OF SNOW BECOME WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH SNOW A GIVEN LOCATION RECEIVES. AT THIS TIME...IT SEEMS LIKE MUCH OF THE ADVISORY AREA WILL SEE UP TO A QUICK INCH OR SO OF SNOW. HOWEVER...THERE WILL LIKELY BE LOCALLY HEAVIER BANDS THAT PRODUCE A QUICK 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING VISIBILITIES TO UNDER A QUARTER MILE AT TIMES.
* OTHER IMPACTS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT MUCH OF THE SNOW WILL OCCUR DURING INCREASED TRAFFIC BETWEEN 4 PM AND 7 PM...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND THE WESTERN TIP OF KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE 
DRIVING.

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - PADUCAH
Tornados can occur during any month of the year here in the Lower Ohio Valley. This chart below shows the number of tornadoes by month from 1996 to 2011. Although there is a peak in the spring and fall, the most important point is that we have had tornadoes every month. You need to be aware of this fact.

Plus a lot of our tornadoes that occur in the winter happen at night.

This is also evident by looking at tornadoes by the time of day.

Yes, most tornadoes happen in the late afternoon and evening, but notice that we have had almost 40 tornadoes between midnight and 6AM when most people are asleep.

Tornadoes in the winter act a bit differently than they do in the spring. One of the most important features of tornadoes in the winter is that they move extremely fast and develop extremely fast. It is not uncommon for tornadoes in the winter to move at speeds of 60 to 70 mph! That means that your time to react and to get to safety is shorter than during other parts of the year. Make sure you have plans for home, at work, and at your place of worship.

We issue warnings for tornadoes based upon three things:
1) The environment: Tornadoes are most likely in the winter when the winds are very strong throughout the atmosphere and when there is a very small amount of instability (warm, moist air near the ground). This information can help you too. Whenever you notice it is unusually warm and humid outside, you need to be on alert. More than likely thunderstorms, and possibly severe weather, will be in the area within 48 hours. One of the ways you can keep ahead of this is by looking at our Outlooks page.  That page will show you what we expect to happen for the next few days.

2) Spotter Reports: Each year we train hundreds of volunteers to contact us when they see certain cloud formations or experience strong, damaging winds, hail, or if they see a funnel cloud or tornado. Storm spotting in the winter can be very difficult as the storms are moving and developing rapidly, and often it is dark, so it is difficult to see the cloud formations. We now also use Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Paducah.gov) and Twitter to gather reports. We send tweets as #NWSPaducah and we monitor the following streams: #nwspah and #tristatewx for weather reports.

3) Radar: Doppler radar cannot see the actual tornado. However, the circulation associated with tornadoes extend well into the cloud in most cases. We look for this larger circulation, and once we see the circulation intensify, a tornado warning is issued. Almost all storms have some rotation, but the strength of the rotation is one of the things we look for on radar. When we go back and research past cool season tornadoes, some of them go from little or no rotation in the cloud to producing a tornado on the ground in just 10 minutes! There is still a lot of research to be done on these tornadoes to better understand them.

In an ideal world, we would like to have all 3 of the above items available to us before we issue warnings, but that is not always possible. Sometimes there are no spotter reports, and sometimes the atmosphere is marginally favorable for tornadoes to form. So, we often have 2 out of the 3 and we then issue warnings based upon the information we have. We, as meteorologists, know that there is still much to learn about the atmosphere and how it works, but we make decisions based upon the information we have.

If you think about it, this is very similar to how a doctor might think when you go into an emergency room. They do not have all the information, but they look for symptoms, listen to you, and then make decisions based upon that information.

Safety is key and part of being safe is having a plan. If a tornado moves through your neighborhood at 2 AM, how are you going to know? If we issue a tornado warning at 2AM, will you know about it? How are you going to know about tornado warnings when you are asleep.

There are several ways to make sure you are awake.
1) Purchase and program a NOAA Weather Radio. We can help you program them.

2) Appoint a family member to stay up and watch the weather, then have them call some friends and relatives before the storms move into your neighborhood and make sure people are awake.

3) Subscribe to receive warnings via your cell phone. Several local media outlets provide this service for free or a nominal fee. In addition, tornado and flash flood warnings are received for free on smart phones with WEA technology.

In addition, have a plan to know where to go. Again, there is little time to react during the winter when severe weather arrives. You have to have a safe location in your home, office, place of worship, before severe weather starts. If you have a basement or a storm shelter, great, that is likely the safest location. If not, try to find a room or a hallway that is near the center of the building on the lowest floor. Try to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside of the building. Schools have tornado drills, you need to make sure everyone in your home or business knows where to go when severe weather strikes. It is not if severe weather will occur, it is when.

Fall often marks an increase in severe weather. The months of October and November, particularly from about mid-October through mid-November, usually brings an increase in severe thunderstorms activity including tornadoes, large hail and damaging thunderstorm winds across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Recent years proved several examples of this annual increase in severe thunderstorms  From October 14 to October 26, 2004, a total of 11 tornadoes occurred across southern Illinois, southeast Missouri and western Kentucky. On October 18, 2007, 16 tornadoes ravaged our region causing 20 injuries and 20 million dollars damage. A total of 26 tornadoes occurred across our region in November of 2005 including the November 6th Evansville, Indiana tornado which caused 25 fatalities. We also had the November 15, 2005 Madisonville, Kentucky area violent EF4 tornado.

The cause of the increase in tornadoes and other sever thunderstorm activity is usually a result of the jet stream dipping south. This causes an increase in the wind field aloft  These wind fields are often enhanced by storm systems approaching from the Plain states. This coupled with sometimes favorable instability and moisture levels can produce the necessary conditions for severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes.  

Preparation and response are the keys to ensure you and those close to you stay safe this fall. First, ensure you have a plan that includes a safe sheltering location when severe weather threatens. Secondly, ensure you have a means to receive weather warnings, particularly of overnight storms which are more than twice as likely to be killers. A weather radio is a perfect solution for being alerted of dangerous weather  Thirdly, go to your predetermined safe location promptly when a warning is issued for your area or severe weather is observed. 

For additional information on severe weather, see:
HTTP://WWW.STORMREADY.NOAA.GOV/LINKS.HTM and HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/SEVEREWEATHER/INDEX.SHTML


SOURCE: National Weather Service - Paducah Public Information Statement 7:28 a.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012

NWS Special Weather Statement - 3:48pm August 29, 2012:
THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC CONTINUES TO GROW. LATEST INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL OCCUR OVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI...ESPECIALLY THE MISSOURI OZARK FOOTHILLS...CLOSEST TO THE TRACK OF THE CENTER. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL APPEARS LIKELY TO OCCUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVY RAIN WOULD HELP TO LESSEN THE IMPACTS OF THE DROUGHT. HOWEVER...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES THAT WOULD RESULT IN DRAINAGE PROBLEMS. THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT STORMS COULD TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN ISOLATED POCKETS OF FLOODING. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD PRESENT AN ADDITIONAL HAZARD TO BOATERS ON AREA LAKES. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PLANNED THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND...PAY ATTENTION TO LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.