Severe Alabama weather: How is tornado emergency different from tornado warning?

As tornadoes and severe weather through Alabama on Thursday, the National Weather Service issued tornado emergencies for several counties in the state.

But what is a tornado emergency? A tornado emergency is different from a tornado warning, which is issued when a tornado is imminent and those in its path should take shelter immediately. A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning and issued once a confirmed tornado is already on the ground and moving toward a highly populated area.

Tornado emergencies are issued rarely. They are reserved for when a severe threat to human life is imminent or ongoing; catastrophic damage is imminent or ongoing; or reliable sources confirm the presence of a damaging tornado, according to NWS.

Follow along with live updates to Thursday's storm here.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanMealins.

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This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama weather: Tornado emergency differs from tornado warning