Tornado Watch until 11 pm

Update: 3:23 pm. Tornado watch posted until 11 pm for much of central and southern MN, including St. Cloud, Mankato and the Twin Cities. Conditions overhead are ripe for tornadic, "supercell" thunderstorms capable of large hail and isolated tornadoes. Stay tuned and stay alert for possible warnings, issued on a county-by-county basis later today.

Tornado Watch

TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 467
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
310 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

TORNADO WATCH 467 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

MNC003-009-013-015-019-023-025-033-037-041-043-047-049-053-059-
063-065-067-079-085-091-093-095-097-103-121-123-127-129-131-139-
141-143-145-147-149-151-153-161-163-165-171-190400-
/O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0467.090618T2010Z-090619T0400Z/

MN
.    MINNESOTA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ANOKA                BENTON              BLUE EARTH
BROWN                CARVER              CHIPPEWA
CHISAGO              COTTONWOOD          DAKOTA
DOUGLAS              FARIBAULT           FREEBORN
GOODHUE              HENNEPIN            ISANTI
JACKSON              KANABEC             KANDIYOHI
LE SUEUR             MARTIN              MCLEOD
MEEKER               MILLE LACS          MORRISON
NICOLLET             POPE                RAMSEY
REDWOOD              RENVILLE            RICE
SCOTT                SHERBURNE           SIBLEY
STEARNS              STEELE              STEVENS
SWIFT                TODD                WASECA
WASHINGTON           WATONWAN            WRIGHT

In a tornado the safest place to ride out the storm:

* Basement, under the stairs. Statistically this is the safest place to be, under a desk or heavy piece of furniture if possible.

* Small, windowless room on the ground floor, like a closet or bathroom. People have survived F-5 tornadoes by hiding in their bathtubs, a mattress or blanket (or pillows) on top of them.

* Avoid outer walls/windows. Most tornado injuries are the result of flying debris and head trauma. That's why it's preferable to get below grade, underground if at all possible.

* In a school or office seek shelter near the interior of the floor, a concrete-reinforced stairwell or bathroom usually provides the best protection.

* Avoid mobile homes (which can become airborne at wind speeds as low as 80 mph). Avoid large rooms, gymnasiums, auditoriums - these are the first to collapse when a tornado hits.

* In a vehicle you can usually drive away from the storm. If that's impossible get out of your vehicle and seek shelter in a nearby building - OR - a ditch. Do NOT ride out the storm inside a car or truck or underneath a vehicle. Do NOT seek shelter under a bridge overpass (a wind-tunnel effect can increase the threat of flying debris hitting you there).