UPDATE (1:25 P.M.): The National Weather Service Has Issued a Tornado Watch for Southern Indiana, including in Loogootee, is in effect until 9 P.M. EST.
Local schools and businesses in the Loogootee and southern Indiana corridor announced early dismissals and event cancellations Thursday afternoon due to severe weather. In Loogootee, schools dismissed at 1:20 AM, with elementary car pickups starting at 1 PM; no PAWS daycare will operate this afternoon.
The district emphasized safety and urged parents to drive carefully. Martin County’s Loogootee Community Schools also dismissed at 1:20 P.M., while Shoals Community Schools dismissed at 1:30 p.m. In Daviess County, Barr-Reeve Schools released students two hours early; North Daviess Schools dismissed starting at 1:15 PM; Washington Community Schools ended classes an hour early; and Washington Catholic dismissed at 1:30 PM
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a mesoscale discussion at 11:34 PM CST indicating a heightened risk of severe weather across central and southern Illinois and Indiana, extending into western and central Kentucky. The SPC predicts an 80% chance of a severe weather watch from 5:34 to 6:30 p.m. CST as conditions intensify, with threats including large hail, tornadoes, and strong winds. Meteorologists indicated features supporting supercell storms, such as veering wind profiles and steep mid-level lapse rates, raising the possibility of tornadoes, some potentially strong.
A tornado watch is expected to be issued within the next 1-2 hours for parts of the region. Around 7 a.m. this morning, the southern tip of Indiana from as north as Greenwood through Loogootee and Evansville are under a Level 3 Enhanced Severe Weather Risk.
In Martin County, Loogootee Community Schools will dismiss at 1:20 p.m., and Shoals Community Schools at 1:30 PM In Daviess County, Barr-Reeve Schools will have a two-hour early release; North Daviess Schools will dismiss starting at 1:15 PM; Washington Community Schools will dismiss one hour early; and Washington Catholic will dismiss at 1:30 PM
The Loogootee Times will provide ongoing updates.
