Just getting this out there; you know that this evening, things could get pretty serious for us weather-wise, so please take all due precautions, all across southern Illinois.
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 414 AM CDT THU APR 9 2015
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 414 AM CDT THU APR 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. A TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO A CONCERN. PLEASE REFER TO OUR FLASH FLOOD PRODUCT FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE THE PRIMARY CONCERNS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION APPEARS LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR * PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...EDWARDS...FRANKLIN...GALLATIN... HAMILTON...JACKSON...JEFFERSON...PERRY IL...SALINE...WABASH... WAYNE IL...WHITE AND WILLIAMSON. IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA... GIBSON...PIKE...POSEY...SPENCER...VANDERBURGH AND WARRICK. IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...DAVIESS...HENDERSON AND UNION KY. IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...PERRY MO. * THROUGH LATE TONIGHT * MULTIPLE PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING WILL BRING 1 TO 3 INCHES OF HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE REGION. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE ROUND OF STORMS. * THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS MAY RESULT IN OR AGGRAVATE RIVER FLOODING ACROSS THE REGION. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.