UPDATE, 9:45 p.m.: Early reports to The Times are that Floyd County largely escaped Friday night's tornado scare with minimal damage.
Morgan County was once again hit hard, for the second time in three days. Johnson and Magoffin counties also reportedly sustained quite a bit of damage.
BULLETIN, 8:10 p.m.: The Tornado Warning for Floyd County has expired, as the worst of the storm has now moved east.
The region continues to be under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 8:45 p.m., a Tornado Watch until midnight, and a Flash Flood Warning until 1:30 a.m. The Floyd County Times will continue to monitor the situation until that time.
BULLETIN, 7:50 p.m.: The TORNADO EMERGENCY continues in effect for Salyersville, Inez, Meally, Davisport and Bradbury. Residents in those areas are urged to take cover now!
At 7:24 p.m., a severe storm capable of producing a tornado was over Meally, 7 miles east of Paintsville, and moving east at 55 mph.
The TORNADO WARNING continues for northeastern Floyd County, southeastern Johnson County and Martin County until 8 p.m.
BULLETIN, 7:40 p.m.: After momentarily removing Floyd County from the warning area, the county is once again under a TORNADO WARNING.
At 7:34 p.m., a storm capable of producing a tornado was over Conley, near Salyersville, and heading east at 75 mph.
UPDATE, 7:35 p.m.: Kentucky State Police has said that West Liberty has sustained severe tornado damage, and that there are several injuries. There are no reports of any fatalities currently.
There are also unconfirmed reports that a tornado touched down in Johnson County.
UPDATE, 7:30 p.m.: Those who turned out to the Mountain Arts Center tonight for a scheduled showing of "The Very Worst Thing" are not being allowed to leave until the storm passes.
The film showing has been canceled and will be rescheduled.
EMERGENCY BULLETIN, 7:20 p.m.: The National Weather Service has declared a until 8 p.m. for Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties.
Unconfirmed reports have said that the storm has overturned vehicles in Salyersville.
Residents in the affected area are urged to take cover now!
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.
BULLETIN, 7:15 p.m.: The National Weather Service has declared a TORNADO EMERGENCY for Salyersville, Ballot, Ova and Kearnie.
At 6:56 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a storm capable of producing a tornado and golf ball-sized hail at Stella, near Salyersville, moving east at 70 mph.
The storm was expected to be at Paintsville, Hager Hill, East Point and Cliff at 7:15 p.m.
BULLETIN, 6:45 p.m.: Sirens are currently going off in Prestonsburg, as the National Weather Service has issued a TORNADO WARNING until 7:15 p.m. for northern Floyd County, including Prestonsburg, West Prestonsburg, Emma and Auxier.
Residents in the affected area are urged to seek shelter immediately! If you are in a car, mobile home or outdoors, find an interior room on the lowest level in the nearest strong structure, away from windows and doors.
A strong and extremely deadly tornado is on the ground NOW near Salyersville.
BULLETIN, 6:40 p.m.: While one weather system that has produced at least one confirmed tornado has tracked north of Floyd County, several other systems to the west and southwest could possibly move this way.
There is currently no Tornado Warning for Floyd County, but the county does remain under a Tornado Watch until midnight.
The Floyd County Times will continue monitoring the situation and will provide updates as long as possible.
BULLETIN, 6:15 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning across a wide swath of the state, including nearby Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Lawrence counties, until 7 p.m.
Doppler radar showed a confirmed tornado near West Liberty, moving east at 60 mph.
Residents in the warning area are urged to take cover in a sturdy structure (not a mobile home or vehicle) now, and to avoid windows.
UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.: The Tornado Warning has now been moved to Bath, Estill, Menifee, Montgomery and Powell counties, until 5:45 p.m. The National Weather Service reports this is a very dangerous storm and advises anyone in those areas to take cover in a sturdy structure immediately.
UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for Fayette, Jessamine and Woodford counties, until 5:15 p.m. People in that area are advised to take cover now.
BULLETIN, 4:30 p.m.: Floyd County and the rest of Eastern Kentucky have been added to a statewide Tornado Watch. According to the National Weather Service, the region is on notice that weather conditions are creating a significant risk of tornadoes until midnight.
A tornado watch does not mean that any tornadoes have been spotted or are imminent. In the event conditions worsen, the alert would be upgraded to a Tornado Warning.
UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: The National Weather Service has now placed 74 counties in Kentucky under a Tornado Watch, although Floyd and surrounding counties still remain only in a Flash Flood Watch.
Counties under the Tornado Watch include Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Bracken, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Campbell, Carroll, Casey, Clark, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mason, McCreary, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Metcalf, Monroe, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Scott, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Woodford.
UPDATE, 12:55 p.m.: The worst of the severe weather continues to get closer to the Big Sandy Valley, as tornado warnings have been issued as close as Knox, Whitley, Harlan and Bell counties, in Kentucky, and in the Appalachian portions of Virginia and Tennessee. Thus far, only occasionally heavy rain showers and thunderstorms have made it to Floyd County.
The worst of the weather is not expected until later this evening for Floyd County, although isolated severe weather events could occur before then.
FIRST REPORT, 9 a.m.: On the heels of powerful storms that caused destruction across many parts of the state and nation Wednesday, another line of severe weather is developing over Kentucky and headed straight for the Big Sandy region.
As it now stands, the National Weather Service has already issued a Flash Flood Watch for all of Eastern Kentucky, until late tonight. Weather analysts are concerned that the ground has not had sufficient time to dry from Wednesday's storms, meaning heavy rains today will not be able to soak in and will overwhelm creeks and ditches.
In addition, the region is under a slight risk of extreme weather conditions, similar to those on Wednesday.
The Floyd County Times will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as conditions change.
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