Columbia utilities, schools watching skies

Columbia’s public utility is watching the weather but otherwise operating as normal.

Water and Light spokeswoman Lissie Wade said the department will react to outages Tuesday if they happen. She said the department will continue to update the outage map throughout the day and post updates on social media.

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day for the threat of a severe storms in the afternoon. Strong winds and tornadoes are the primary threats with a strong storm system expected to hit mid-Missouri this afternoon. The line could drop 1 to 2 more inches of rain on already saturated ground, as well.

Columbia Public Schools are watching the weather and some schools are canceling after-school activities, spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said.

Wade said customers can call 573-875-2555 to report power outages.