Note: This story has been updated

3:50 p.m. update

The Columbus Municipal Airport terminal building will be available for those who need to shelter from tonight’s severe weather. City officials say that you should make sure any pets are secured and that you bring only essential items.

The terminal is at 4770 Ray Boll Boulevard.

In Hope, residents in need of shelter can go to the basement of Hope United Methodist Church, according to the Hope Police Department.

3:45 p.m. update

According to Bartholomew County Emergency Management:

Multiple periods of thunderstorms are expected  through Saturday night.

All severe weather hazards are possible tonight with the most likely time for dangerous tornadoes coming from 5 to 9 p.m. There is also the likelihood of damaging straight line winds with gusts of 70 – 80 mph, 1 to 2 inch diameter hail and flash flooding caused by 1 to 3 inches of rainfall. Supercells could potentially form ahead of a line in the late afternoon and evening including the potential for a few strong (EF2+) tornadoes.

After 9 p.m., damaging wind/flooding then becomes the primary threat, with an isolated tornado threat into the evening and overnight as the main line moves through.

3:21 p.m. update

Forecasters say our area is under a moderate risk of severe weather today with heavy rains, high winds and tornadoes possible this evening.

Kyle Mounce meteorologist with the WRTV Storm Team explains the risk we are seeing.

A wind advisory is in effect from now until 1 tomorrow morning with south winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of up to 50 mph expected. A flood watch is in effect from 8 tonight through Sunday. A flood warning goes into effect on Driftwood River starting Friday night with moderate flooding expected or worse depending on the amount of rainfall we get.

The Columbus Police Department is welcoming its newest officer.

Allen Cummings was sworn in Tuesday by Mayor Mary Ferdon. He attended Columbus North High School and joined the U.S. Army, where he served as a combat medic and on tank maintenance. He served six years in the service, before returning to Columbus with this family. He now serves in the Army Reserves as a military police officer.

Cummings will be undergoing training with department instructors and will leave to attend the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in May.

Photos courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Authorities are confirming that a tornado touched down in Ripley County during Sunday night’s bad weather.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington Ohio, says that an EF-0 tornado touched down near Napoleon at about 7:54 in the evening and ended about two minutes later. Storm damage surveyors say the tornado traveled about two miles on the ground damaging trees and homes. Wind speeds are estimated at 80 mph.

The same storm system caused wind damage in Bartholomew, Brown and Monroe counties and witnesses saw rotation and a possible funnel cloud in western Columbus but surveyors could not find any evidence that a tornado touched down.

Emergency officials urge you to be prepared for two major rounds of bad weather today.

Forecasters say our area is under a moderate risk of severe weather today with heavy rains, flash flooding, high winds and tornadoes all possible. The first round of storms are expected this morning bringing small hail and heavy rain. But the worst weather is expected to move through our area after 4 p.m. this afternoon through 3 a.m. in the morning Thursday. That weather could be severe.

A wind advisory is in effect from 8 a.m. this morning until 1 p.m. tomorrow morning with south winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of up to 50 mph expected.

Heavy rain is expected to continue Thursday through Saturday. With the rain falling on already saturated ground, minor to moderate flooding is expected on area rivers and streams through the weekend. A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. tonight through Sunday.

Officials say that you should have multiple ways available to receive weather forecasts and alerts. They also warn that tornado sirens are meant to be heard outside and cannot be relied on if you are inside of a building.

You should have a location designated as your safe spot at home and at work. A basement or storm shelter is best, but an interior room, stairway or hall without a window or door to the outside is also acceptable.

A wind advisory is in effect from 8 this morning until 1 tomorrow morning with south winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of up to 50 mph expected. A flood watch is in effect from 8 tonight through Sunday.

There will be a career fair Wednesday at the Columbus Airpark Campus at the Columbus Municipal Airport.

Students and community members are invited to talk with local employers.

The career fair will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in the Columbus Learning Center on Central Avenue. Rachel Hunt with the Community Education Coalition explains;

Organizers say that this is a chance to connect with employers from a variety of industries, explore job and internship opportunities, and network with professionals. Dozens of local businesses will be present and looking for employees.

They say you should be sure to bring your resume and dress in professional attire.

The career fair is being presented by IU Columbus, Ivy Tech Community College Columbus Campus, Purdue Polytechnic and the Columbus Education Coalition

A city-wide cleanup to Make Seymour Shine will be coming up next week.

The week-long effort will run next week from Monday, April 7th through Friday, April 11th.

You can put out a single pickup-sized load of trash on your regular trash day and city crews will haul it away for you. You should set out your trash at the curb on your regular trash day by 7 in the morning. There will be no alley pickups. You will need to separate trash, metal and yard waste. Landscaping, wood debris, drywall and remodeling debris also needs to be separated from regular yard waste.

Up to four passenger vehicle tires will be picked up from households. No semi-truck or agricultural tires will be allowed.

Pesticides, old fuel, cleaners, oil-based paint and other hazardous materials can be brought to the Seymour Department of Public Works on F Avenue on Freedom Field.

This is for residential and small business customers only.

Police will be looking for drivers with cell phones in hand or otherwise distracted during the “Put the Phone Away or Pay” enforcement blitz starting on Saturday.

State and local officers are taking part in the two week enforcement campaign which will run through April 19th. Officers will be looking for those driving while distracted, who are speeding or otherwise driving dangerously.

Officials say distracted driving and speeding caused more than 17,000 thousand crashes across Indiana last year, which led to 230 deaths.

The campaign is being funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Emergency officials urge you to be prepared for two major rounds of bad weather on Wednesday.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that the first round of storms are expected tomorrow morning from 6 to noon bringing small hail and heavy rain. But the worst weather is expected to move through our area from 6 at night until 2 Thursday morning. Those storms are expected to bring straight line winds of 70 to 80 mph, large hail and flash flooding and possible tornadoes.

Heavy rain is expected to continue Thursday through Saturday. With the rain falling on already saturated ground, minor to moderate flooding is expected on area rivers and streams through the weekend.

Officials say that now is the time to prepare yourself. They say you should have multiple ways available to receive weather forecasts and alerts. They also warn that tornado sirens are meant to be heard outside and cannot be relied on if you are inside of a building.

You should have a location designated as your safe spot at home and at work. A basement or storm shelter is best, but an interior room, stairway or hall without a window or door to the outside is also acceptable.

It looks like Wednesday could be another night for bad weather in our area.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis forecasters say that we are going to have showers and thunderstorms Wednesday, turning to heavy rain and breezy by Wednesday night with severe weather possible. All of Indiana is under an enhanced risk of severe storms Wednesday night with wind gusts of more than 70 mph, flash flooding likely and tornadoes possible.

Very heavy rainfall is possible from late Wednesday through Saturday night due to multiple rounds of rain. Significant river flooding could develop late this week into the weekend, with runoff from the rain may lead to flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood prone locations.

The agency has issued a flood watch for central and southern Indiana starting Wednesday evening and lasting through Sunday morning. They suggest that those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

U.S. 31 is closed in southern Bartholomew County and northern Jackson County for a month and a half or more.

According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, contractors will be doing construction work on a bridge north of Reddington. That is between East Jackson County Road 1125N and East Bartholomew County Road County Road 900S. The road is expected to be closed until May 15th but the schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be extra alert to worker safety in all work zones.