Tornado watch issued for Holmes and Washington counties

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch, in effect until 2 p.m. CT Tuesday afternoon, April 5, for five counties in the Panhandle, including Holmes and Washington.

The watch includes the cities of Bonifay, Chipley, the Holmes County Airport, Chipley Municipal Airport, and surrounding areas, as well as five counties in southeast Alabama.

A flood watch remains in effect through Thursday morning, with flooding caused by excessive rainfall possible. The flood watch extends to portions of southeast Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest and south central Georgia.

Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,  creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected across most of the area. However, localized amounts in excess of 5 inches are likely in areas that experience multiple rounds of thunderstorms.