Storm system sweeping across US kills at least 39 people

• A storm system that swept acrossthe US from the plains to the East Coast — bringing dust storms, hurricane-force winds, violent tornadoes and heavy rain — should be moving offshore by Monday morning.

• The final tornado watch has expired across parts of North Carolina and Virginia as conditions continue to improve across the Mid-Atlantic.

• The late winter storm system has killed at least 39 people, including 12 in Missouri. States of emergency are in effect for several states that are now dealing with the cleanup.

Our live coverage of the deadly storms that swept across the US has ended. Get the latest updates here.

The final tornado watch has expired across parts of North Carolina and Virginia as conditions continue to improve across the Mid-Atlantic.

The remainder of the rain and storms will move offshore of the Mid-Atlantic in the coming hours and out of the Northeast by the end of the day Monday.

The rain and storms across the Northeast are not expected to be severe and will mainly just be a nuisance for commuters during the day.

A severe weather outbreak that has brought more than 950 storm reports across the central and Eastern US, including tornadoes, large hail and gusty winds, also brought rounds of heavy rainfall.

Below are some of the highest rainfall storm totals across the Southeast this weekend:

Record-breaking rain: Tupelo saw a daily rainfall record broken on Saturday when it received 5.12 inches. This breaks the daily record of 2.82 inches set on March 15, 1973. The city’s average rainfall for the month of March is 5.37 inches, so it has received more than a month’s worth of rainfall from this event.

Bowling Green also saw a daily record broken on Saturday with a total of 3.3 inches, which breaks the previous March 15th record of 2.25 set in 1922.

A deadly severe weather outbreak began on Friday, bringing over 950 storm reports to the Central US, including tornadoes, high winds and large hail.

There have been around 80 tornado reports, with dozens of tornadoes confirmed. Storm surveys will be ongoing for the next few days to get a final tornado count.

There have been two EF4s, 4 EF3s, 9 EF2s, 11 EF1s and 1 EF0s. These include the two EF4 tornadoes in Arkansas, EF3 tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana, EF2 tornadoes in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas and Kentucky, and EF1 tornadoes in Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, South Carolina and Paulding County, Georgia.

There have been over 710 high windstorm reports across the central and Eastern US, with widespread wind gusts of 60-80 mph, with the highest wind gust of 89 mph in Latrobe Airport in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

These gusts have fueled power outages affecting more than 180,000 customers as of 11 pm ET, with Pennsylvania seeing around 90,000 customers without power.

Two separate EF4 tornadoes occurred in Arkansas on March 14, according to the National Weather Service in Little Rock.

The last time more than one EF4/F4 tornado hit Arkansas on the same day was on March 1, 1997.

On that day in 1997, three tornadoes were rated F4. These tornadoes occurred before the revised Enhanced Fujita scale was released in 2007.

The weather service in Little Rock also found EF3 damage in Fifty-Six in Stone County with winds of 140 mph, and EF2 damage in Fitzhugh in Woodruff County with winds of 120 mph.

Note that more surveys are coming, and all these are preliminary.

A vast storm system that swept across the US this week has killed at least 39 people across seven states.

Three people have been confirmed dead in Alabama where damage is being assessed in more than half of the state’s counties, according to Gov. Kay Ivey.

“Yesterday’s severe weather impacted most of Alabama,” Ivey said in a statement Sunday morning. “Unfortunately, we have learned of the loss of at least two of our fellow Alabamians — one life in Plantersville and one in Winterboro.”

By Sunday evening, the governor had confirmed a third death in Dallas County. “I offered condolences to local officials in both areas,” Ivey added.

The weather system brought high winds and wildfires to Oklahoma, killing at least four people in four separate counties, according to Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Keli Cain.

One person died amid reduced visibility in Garfield County, emergency management officials in the state said. Deaths were also confirmed in Haskell, Lincoln and Pawnee Counties, Cain said in a Sunday statement.

In Lincoln County, a youth wrestling coach died after being severely burned during the wildfires on Friday, according to CNN affiliate KOCO. Allen Ferguson died on Saturday, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family. Ferguson’s son also suffered severe burns and is “facing a long road to recovery,” the page said.

The number of storm-related deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

A tornado watch has been issued for central and eastern North Carolina as well as parts of southern Virginia, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The watch is in effect until 1 a.m. ET and includes the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia.

Tornadoes are possible as well as straight line wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail the size of ping pong balls.

“Scattered severe thunderstorms will move northeast across the watch area this evening, with a risk for a couple tornadoes, damaging gusts, and isolated large hail.” the Storm Prediction Center said.

The tornado watch covers 6 million people.

The National Weather Service said Sunday an EF-4 tornado struck near Larkin, a town in northern Arkansas, with peak winds reaching 170 mph.

This marks the second EF-4 tornado confirmed in Arkansas today after officials found damage consistent with winds of 190 mph in Diaz.

Violent tornadoes are EF-4 or stronger. Only 1% of all tornadoes get this strong, but they account for an outsized 66% of all tornado deaths, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Before this weekend, the last EF-4 tornado in Arkansas occurred in December 2021.

President Donald Trump said his administration is ready to assist after tornadoes and severe storms hit several states in the South and Midwest over the weekend.

“We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest — 36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “The National Guard have been deployed to Arkansas, and my Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage,” he added.

Trump also asked people to join him and first lady Melania Trump in praying for those impacted by the storms, offering encouragement in the aftermath of the disaster.

A tornado survey team has found damage consistent with an EF4 tornado in Diaz, Arkansas, the National Weather Service in Little Rock said Sunday. The weather service estimated peak winds of 190 mph.

Tornados of EF4 strength are labelled as “violent” and can be devastating, easily destroying homes, tossing cars and downing large trees.

At least three people have died in connection with severe weather in Arkansas.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to the extensive damage caused by the storms. It will remain in effect until March 29.

The Weather Service said more damage surveys are underway, with more information expected in the coming days.

A tornado watch has been extended until 5 p.m. ET Sunday for the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Weather Service.

The watch covers five counties – Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus – as well as the adjacent coastal waters, including Tampa Bay. The main threats are damaging wind gusts and an isolated tornado. The storms may additionally bring hail, frequent lighting and heavy rain.

The severe weather risk is tied to a cold front moving through the region, with strong storms remaining possible through early Monday morning.

More than 50 million people across the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to Florida, are under the threat of severe storms Sunday as the larger system shifts eastward.

Nearly 300,000 customers across several states are without power Sunday afternoon after a destructive storm system swept across the US this weekend, spawning violent tornadoes and deadly road conditions.

As of 4 p.m. ET, more than 290,000 customers were without power, according to PowerOutage.US.

As the larger system shifts east, more than 50 million people from Pennsylvania to Florida are under the threat for severe storms. In Pennsylvania, over 150,000 homes and businesses are currently without power.

More than 40,000 outages were reported in hard-hit Missouri where the storm system left 12 people dead. At least 35 people have died as a result of the massive storms, including in several Southern states, such as Alabama and Mississippi.

Cleanup got under way Sunday in Alpine, Alabama, where volunteers from Revive Church in Talladega told CNN they were stunned by the destruction left by the storm that swept the area.

“Disaster,” said James Stewart, 39, when he was asked to describe what he had seen.

Directly across the street was a heavily damaged school gymnasium, where the roof and the wall facing the road had given way, exposing the interior to the elements. Outside, a bus that had been thrown against the building was leaning on its side, with yellow caution tape keeping curious bystanders away.

Debris, including twisted sheets of metal, wood and insulation, littered the area. At the cemetery’s edge, a tree leaned precariously over the gravestones, its trunk cleaved in half.

Another volunteer, Brandon Chittam, estimated there were perhaps two dozen volunteers helping out.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Charles Kelly said, standing in front of Winterboro Community Church in Alpine, Alabama, where he is pastor.

Across the street from the church, a school bus is lodged in the side of a school building. Portions of several buildings are severely damaged.

“It’s really amazing that what we’re looking at right here across the road and what we’re looking at behind us is so drastically different,” Kelly said. “… Just by God’s grace, I mean, very, very minimal damage.“ But the pastor said the community will rally around each other.

Back across the street, 16-year-old Trenton Garrett was directing traffic around the wreckage from the school buildings. A junior at the adjacent high school and member of the volunteer fire department, Garrett said he was out in the street to serve his community.

“Most people at this age really don’t want to get involved, but I love getting involved in my community,” Garrett said, “These folks don’t have to listen to me, but they are listening. They’re slowing down and they’re going the right way. I just love directing traffic,” he said.

A tornado watch is in effect until 2 p.m. ET Sunday for portions of southeastern Georgia, eastern South Carolina and much of North Carolina up to the Virginia state line, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The watch includes Savannah, Georgia; Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Wilmington, Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It brings “a greater risk for wind damage along with a threat for a couple of tornadoes,” the prediction center warned.

Severe thunderstorms in Georgia and South Carolina will move across the watch area through early Sunday afternoon, bringing the risk of those threats.

More than 50 million people are under the threat for severe storms Sunday from Pennsylvania to Florida as the larger system shifts eastward. The main threats will be damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and hail.

A tornado watch is in effect until 4 p.m. ET for portions of eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and most of West Virginia, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The watch includes Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania; Charleston, West Virginia; and Akron, Canton and Zanesville, Ohio.

The center warned:

More than 60 million people are under the threat for severe storms Sunday from Pennsylvania to Florida as the larger system shifts eastward. The main threats will be damaging winds, a few tornadoes and hail.

Two people have been confirmed dead as a result of severe weather that pummeled Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement Sunday morning.

Damage has been reported in 52 of the state’s 67 counties, she added, noting officials are still assessing the damage.

More than 50 million people from Florida to Pennsylvania are under the threat of severe storms Sunday as a massive weather system pushes east, having left in its wake a path of devastation across the Central and Southern US.

Communities across the affected states continue to take stock of the devastation left in the wake of the storm system, which spawned an outbreak of tornadoes and left at least 35 people dead in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.

Parts of Alabama appeared to have been particularly hard-hit, with images and footage showing the storm had brought down trees and power lines and leveled homes and businesses. Footage from CNN affiliate WVTM shows a school bus lying on its side up against Winterboro High School in Talladega County, its left turn signal blinking in the dark.

“All I’ve got is a truck. I don’t even know where we’re going to be sleeping tonight,” one man whose Calera, Alabama, mobile home was destroyed told WVTM. “It’s just one of those things where everything’s unsure right now. Me and my daughter have our lives. That’s all I can say.”

Here’s the latest:

Customers across the South are without power Sunday morning with nearly 200,000 outages reported following a massive, deadly storm system sweeping across the region.

As of 8:30 a.m. ET, more than 198,000 customers were without power, according to poweroutage.us. Almost 61,000 outages were reported in hard-hit Missouri where the storm system left 12 people dead.

There were just under 50,000 customers without power in Georgia and 50,000 outages in North Carolina. More than 10,000 outages were reported in Mississippi where six people died after multiple tornadoes ripped across the state, and over 28,000 customers were without power in Alabama.

At least 33 people have died as a result of the massive storms. As the larger system shifts east, more than 50 million people are under the threat for severe storms from Pennsylvania to Florida.

A tornado watch is in effect until 3 p.m. ET Sunday for portions of southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The watch includes Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida, as well as Brunswick, Georgia, the prediction center said, warning, “A couple of tornadoes are possible, as well as damaging gusts with the stronger storms.”

More than 50 million people are under the threat for severe storms Sunday from Pennsylvania to Florida as the larger system shifts eastward. The main threats will be damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and hail.

The storm sweeping across the US continued its path of destruction in Alabama late Saturday into early Sunday. A flurry of tornado watches and warnings were in effect throughout the night across the state as the storm pushed east.

Calera, a small city in central Alabama, suffered widespread damage, authorities told CNN, though there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

A portion of the roof at Calera Baptist Church was torn off just hours before Sunday service, according to CNN affiliate WBRC.

Video from WBRC also showed substantial damage to mobile homes in Calera.

Trees and power lines were downed at local trailer parks, and in addition to damaged trailers, several buildings in the area sustained roof damage, according to Brent Ellison of the Calera Police Department. Burton Campers, a local retailer, also suffered damage to part of its building, Ellison said.

Earlier Saturday, the National Weather Service said an observed tornado was spotted in a rotating thunderstorm approaching Calera. The weather service office for Birmingham is in Calera, and forecasters there said they were preparing to take shelter themselves.

The weather service also reported radar-confirmed tornadoes in Pike County in southern Alabama and in Cusseta in eastern Alabama, near the Georgia state line.

In Pike County, injuries were reported near an intersection on US Highway 29, according to CNN affiliate WSFA, citing Sheriff Russell Thomas. The sheriff said the storm flipped a trailer and tore the roof off a home, WSFA reported. CNN has reached out to the sheriff’s office for details on how many were injured and what their conditions are.

Nearly 53,000 homes and businesses in Alabama were without power shortly after midnight Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us.

The death toll from the sweeping storm system climbed to at least 33 across six states Saturday night as more fatalities were reported in Mississippi.

Six deaths have been reported in Mississippi as tornadoes raked across the state – one in Covington County, two people in the same home in Jefferson Davis County and three people in Walthall County, Gov. Tate Reeves said. The governor declared a state of emergency Saturday evening.

Also, three people are missing – two from Covington County and one from Walthall County, according to Reeves. Another 28 have been injured statewide – 15 in Covington County, one in Jefferson Davis County, two in Pike County and 10 in Walthall County, authorities said.

According to preliminary assessments, 21 counties in the state sustained storm damage, Reeves said. Damage assessments are currently underway.

More than 14,000 people were still without power across the state as of Saturday night, according to poweroutage.us.

The number of storm-related deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

This post has been updated with additional information.

Dejaun Lane’s family watched from their windows as a tornado churned right by his home in Tylertown, Mississippi, Saturday afternoon.

His house only has a few broken windows and other minor damage, but the family’s other belongings on the property were severely damaged, he said.

Lane’s mother, Tracy Lane, told CNN that her RV trailer is “split in half.”

She said she’s never seen anything like this.

The Storm Prediction Center reduced the severe weather threat in the Southeast to a Level 4 of 5 for the remainder of the evening and overnight hours. This is a reduction from the highest level — which is rarely issued — but a significant threat of severe storms and tornadoes continues this evening, especially across Alabama and eventually into Georgia.

“Widespread severe convection, including the risk for strong tornadoes continues this evening,” the SPC said in its update. “Severe threat will spread across Alabama and into Georgia/Florida Panhandle later tonight.”

The thinking behind the decreased risk is likely that the expert forecasters at SPC no longer see the conditions necessary for violent, long-track tornadoes that a 5-of-5 risk indicates. Destructive tornadoes did occur earlier Saturday in southern Mississippi. The National Weather Service will survey that damage and report strength on Sunday and Monday.

Tornado watches currently stretch from central and eastern Tennessee to the Florida Panhandle, covering more than 8 million people.

When an apparent tornado struck Taylorsville, Mississippi, one resident stepped outside without a shirt or shoes on to film it.

In the footage, the apparent tornado can be seen swirling in the background, accompanied by flashing lights as it moves through the area.

“After it was over, I realized I was almost too close,” Max Loper told CNN Saturday.

After the storm passed, Loper drove around town to assess the damage left in the storm’s wake. The tornado left downed power lines, uprooted trees, damaged buildings and scattered debris throughout the area, video shows.

In one part of the video, Loper puts down his camera to talk to a neighbor to ask her if she is all right.

“We are without power, but we are all good,” the woman said.

At least 31 people are dead in a powerful, multi-threat storm that’s hit much of the Midwest and Southeast since Friday. Saturday has seen the most tornado warnings issued nationwide since April of last year.

Torrential rain and severe thunderstorms are lighting up the radar as the system tracks east. Eastern Alabama, eastern Tennessee and Georgia will be at risk of severe storms, which could include tornadoes, flash flooding and damaging wind, through the early morning hours Sunday.

“Numerous significant tornadoes” are expected Saturday into Sunday morning across the Deep South, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The severe risk of the tornado outbreaks is expected to reach western parts of the Florida panhandle and parts of Georgia Saturday evening.

Here’s the latest from some of the states impacted by the storms:

A new tornado watch is in effect until 4 a.m. ET for central and southern Alabama, western Georgia and the western Florida Panhandle, including Birmingham, Mobile, Atlanta and Pensacola.

While this watch is not a “particularly dangerous situation” like the earlier watches over Mississippi and Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center is still warning of “several tornadoes and a couple of intense tornadoes,” as severe thunderstorms continue to move east this evening and into the overnight hours.

Forecasters at the Birmingham office of the National Weather Service told their media partners they were working with the Storm Prediction Center to get the next tornado watch out quickly, so they could prepare to take shelter themselves.

A rotating thunderstorm approaching Calera, Alabama — where the office is located — has an observed tornado.

If the Birmingham office needs to walk away from their computers to shelter, forecasters in Peachtree City, Georgia, will take over for them.

The death toll from the sweeping storm system climbed to at least 31 across six states Saturday night as more fatalities were reported in Mississippi and Oklahoma.

One person died in Oklahoma amid reduced visibility in Garfield County, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Gov. Kevin Stitt said Saturday at a news conference the fatality was “from an accident in a vehicle driving in the smoke of some kind.”

In Mississippi, at least four people died after severe thunderstorms and tornadoes hit the South on Saturday, authorities said.

Three storm-related deaths occurred in Walthall County, according to emergency management director Royce McKee. Another person died in southwest Covington County, a news release from the emergency management office said. Several injuries were also reported in both counties.

Covington County, Mississippi, was “greatly damaged” when two tornadoes touched down there, according to county emergency officials. The tornadoes downed trees and power lines, damaged “multiple” structures and injured several people.

The first tornado touched down in the town of Hot Coffee. Shortly after, the second tornado touched in the town of Seminary, resulting in one death and one major injury.

The National Weather Service will be going out to survey the damage and will make the final call on what happened.

Debris removal operations are underway and damage assessments will begin soon, officials said.

The number of deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

At least three people died in Mississippi after severe storms, including possible tornadoes, hit the state.

The storm-related deaths occurred in Walthall County, said emergency management director Royce McKee. “We have a bunch of houses destroyed, a bunch of damage and three fatalities,” he told CNN. “Several” residents have also been injured and officials are working to find out exactly how many were hurt.

Emergency management officials are also trying to get a total count of houses that have been damaged or destroyed, McKee said. People who were trapped due to the storm have been rescued, but authorities will soon be undertaking a search and rescue effort “to make sure that nobody’s left behind,” he said. They’ll also “take care of everybody,” ensuring that people who have lost their homes have shelter and necessities.

“We’ll be trying to get them housing, fed and assist them with clothing or anything they need,” McKee said. “Some people have lost everything.”

The deaths in Mississippi raise the death toll from the sweeping storm system to at least 29. The number of deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

At least eight people died after a severe dust storm in Kansas led to a multi-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon, according to a release from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

A weather front with “high winds moved into northwest Kansas from Colorado, causing a severe dust storm,” leaving almost zero visibility for those traveling on I-70, authorities say.

“The preliminary investigation indicates over 50 vehicles were involved in the crash, with eight confirmed fatalities,” the release said. “Numerous injured travelers were transported to medical care facilities throughout the region.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said her thoughts are with those who were affected by the crash.

“I encourage all motorists to remain vigilant as the potential for further weather events continue today,” Kelly said in a news release. “Thank you to the first responders and emergency personnel who responded quickly and continue work to investigate and clear this crash.”

The deaths in Kansas raise the overall storm death toll to 26, with 12 fatalities in Missouri, three in Texas and three in Arkansas.

A busy night of severe weather over the Midwest and Mississippi River Valley has extended into an even busier day of tornado-producing storms on Saturday.

Today has already seen the most tornado warnings issued nationwide since April of last year. At least 127 separate tornado warnings have been issued so far on Saturday, passing yesterday’s total of 94 which was the most of the year until today.

The most active part of the day is forecast to come over the next several hours as the storm system reaches the highest risk area in Alabama.

Four tornado watches are in effect in the southeast on Saturday evening, including two “potentially dangerous situation” watches, which indicate the threat of significant tornadoes.

Around 10 million people in parts of six states are under tornado watches. Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest-populated city under a watch.

The most recent watch was issued for eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia, in effect until 1 a.m. ET. Forecasters say they expect a few tornadoes, but perhaps the bigger threat will be the strong straight-line winds. Gusts up to 75 mph are likely in this region.

Photos from Grenada, Mississippi, show significant destruction, including several buildings destroyed, uprooted trees, a flipped vehicle and multiple cars trapped beneath rubble after severe weather struck the area on Friday.

A video shared with CNN shows downed power lines, debris scattered across yards, metal wrapped around poles and torn-off roofs.

Jeff Johnson, the District 3 Supervisor for Grenada County, expressed his heartbreak to CNN upon witnessing the destruction.

“So many lives have changed in an instant,” Johnson said. “It’s difficult to process this level of devastation. I feel helpless seeing so much loss. Nature’s power is terrifying.”

Johnson mentioned that he and others were in the city ofGrenada, which is part of District 1, to assist the community in the aftermath of the storm.

More than 236,000 homes and businesses in the central and southern US are experiencing power outages, according to PowerOutage.us, as the sweeping storm system downs power lines and damages buildings.

Here’s the breakdown of power outages reported as of 6 p.m. ET Saturday:

Friday night’s severe storm destroyed multiple businesses at a small shopping center in central Missouri, videos and photos show.

Doors, walls and equipment inside a family-owned nail salon in the city of Rolla, Missouri, were ripped apart and the building was heavily damaged.

A GoFundMe has since been organized by Christina Do, the owner’s daughter. It has a fundraising goal of $30,000, which will help secure a new location, replace lost equipment and supplies and help employees return to work.

“This salon was more than just a business; it was a home, a safe space, and a place where our community came together for the last (three) generations,” Do wrote.

“We built something special here, a family beyond just clients and services. Now, with everything gone, we are left to pick up the pieces,” she said.

As Southern Mississippi faces an onslaught of tornadic storms, one large family is spending their Saturday in a “safe room” made of cinder blocks.

The family lives in Taylorsville, a small town in Smith County, which was under three separate tornado warnings in mere hours Saturday.

Stacy Bryant Hawkins, 59, said she could feel “suction” when a likely tornado hit Taylorsville Saturday afternoon.

“Just the wind blowing. It gets really still when one comes close by but then all of a sudden the rain came with a force. We watched (the likely tornado) go over my back pasture,” Hawkins says. “It was more of a roaring sound.”

Their house did not have any damage but Hawkins is concerned about what will happen throughout the rest of the day.

She is most fearful of her family members getting hurt, especially her 84-year-old mother, who did not want to leave her Taylorsville home.

“I am very scared of bad weather. We’ve been in our home 23 years and that’s why I insisted on a safe room being built,” she tells CNN.

Her family has spent the last few hours in and out of their “safe room” on the first floor of their home. Because Smith County gets a lot of tornadoes, the family decided to create the storm room in their home, Hawkins explained.

Multiple family members have taken shelter at her home, including her daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, a two-year-old and four dogs.

Her brother-in-law wasn’t as lucky. His Taylorsville home just took a direct hit, Hawkins told CNN.

“They have a tree in their master bedroom,” she said. “I know a lot of friends are over there helping them, and my husband and son, but I don’t know what they’ll do.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday his state was mostly spared by the dangerous storm system after it was facing “one of the most concerning weather forecasts that I’ve seen as governor.”

“And that’s saying something given what we’ve been through,” Beshear told CNN, adding Kentucky is still recovering from last month’s flooding and deadly storms.

When asked whether Beshear, a Democrat, feels he can count on the federal government for assistance with future storm damage, the governor said: “We have FEMA on the ground right now and while I disagree and disagree strenuously with President Trump’s statements on the future of FEMA, it’s been going well. I do have to compliment their administration in turning around the disaster declaration.”

But Beshear emphasized: “That’s the way that FEMA needs to operate into the future. The idea is that we fix it, we don’t break it.”

The Trump administration’s developing plan for deep staff cuts and drastic changes at the Federal Emergency Management Agency has raised alarm among some state officials and even Republican lawmakers, who worry that it will weaken responses to future disasters.

Beshear called the agency a “critical arm of the federal government that’s there for our families when they need it the most, when they’ve been absolutely devastated.”

At least 12 people have died following storms in Missouri, according to an afternoon update from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The totals for each county are as follows:

The storm’s death toll now stands at at least 18, with three fatalities reported in Arkansas and three in Texas.

Southern Mississippi is facing an onslaught of tornadic storms as wave after wave of spinning thunderstorms are producing numerous tornadoes that are impacting the same locations multiple times.

Taylorsville, a small town in southern Mississippi’s Smith County, is currently under its third separate tornado warning in as many hours. Both of the previous warnings resulted in damage from likely tornadoes, though they will need to be reviewed and confirmed by the National Weather Service.

Previous tornado warnings indicated that separate tornadoes would hit Taylorsville at 1:55 p.m. CT and 2:40 p.m. CT.

Now, a third tornado warning is covering the town, and “a large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Improve, or 12 miles northeast of Columbia, moving northeast at 60 mph,” according to the NWS in Jackson.

This tornado is likely to pass just south of Taylorsville, near the town of Soso, around 3:30 pm.

Smith County has faced at least five separate tornado warnings over the past 3 hours, and a tornado watch covers the area until at least 6 p.m. local time.

Authorities are working to assess damage and clear debris as severe weather sweeps through Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

In the town of Kentwood, about 30 homes were damaged, a public information officer for the parish told CNN.

Downed trees and power lines have also been observed. No injuries have been reported at this time, but one person had to be rescued from their damaged home.

A response team of more than 20 people is working to survey damage, clear roads of debris and help residents get to a safe location as the storm continues.

A tornado survey team in Cave City, Arkansas, has found damage “consistent with winds of 165 mph,” the National Weather Service in Little Rock said Saturday. “This is the very top of the EF3 scale.”

Tornadoes of EF3 strength produce severe damage, uprooting nearly all trees in their path, blowing over large vehicles like trains and buses and significantly damaging buildings. Fewer than 5% of all tornadoes are rated EF3 or higher.

At least three people died and 32 were injured due to severe weather in Arkansas overnight, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management. Injuries were reported in eight counties and damage has been reported in 16 counties.

The deaths were reported in Independence County, in the northern part of the state, but emergency management officials did not share further details. Cave City is located in both Independence and Sharp counties.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Saturday “in response to the extensive damage and power outages,” the emergency management division said. It will remain in effect until March 29.

More than 3 million people in parts of Alabama are under a tornado watch, with the Storm Prediction Center labeling it a “particularly dangerous situation” – a rare designation indicating the possibility of exceptionally strong storms and tornadoes.

The watch includes much of Alabama, including Huntsville, Birmingham and Montgomery.

Tornadoes of EF3 intensity or higher are possible with maximum winds between 155 and 190 mph, damaging wind gusts of hurricane force and hail as large as baseballs.

Violent tornadoes are EF4 or stronger. Only 1% of all tornadoes get this strong, but they account for an outsized 66% of all tornado deaths, according to the SPC. Long-track tornadoes spend more time on the ground, increasing the potential for destruction.

Storms overnight have left destruction across Missouri, with several buildings and utility poles damaged, according to images shared by Missouri State Highway Patrol Saturday.

Storm damage was seen in Kennett, Perryville and Villa Ridge, according to high patrol.

Drone footage shows storm damage in Florissant, Missouri, where local police reported “significant damage to homes and property.”

A tornado watch is in effect for 2.5 million people in parts of Middle Tennessee – including Nashville – until 9 p.m. CT, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

A line of thunderstorms spreading east and northeastward across middle Tennessee this afternoon and evening will contain damaging winds up to 60-75 mph and several tornadoes as the environment becomes increasingly favorable for severe thunderstorms.

A rapidly intensifying tornado is on the ground in southern Mississippi, with local radar from the National Weather Service indicating it is tossing debris more than 25,000 feet in the air (or nearly 5 miles high). A tornado emergency, the highest level of tornado warning, was in place for the storm, indicating a catastrophic threat to numerous towns, including Bassfield and Prentiss, Mississippi.

What this means: Tornadoes are labeled as violent when they are capable of producing EF4 and EF5 damage, the highest on the scale. Violent tornadoes make up less than 1% of all tornadoes, but they account for two-thirds of all tornado-related fatalities, research has shown.

The tornado is now located near the city of Collins, about 60 miles southeast of Jackson.

The governors of both Oklahoma and Georgia have declared states of emergency due to the sweeping storm that has sparked wildfires in the Sooner State and threatens to spawn tornadoes in the Peach State.

In Oklahoma: Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order Saturday morning declaring a state of emergency in 12 counties due to “dangerous wildfires and straight-line winds,” that began Friday and have burned around 170,000 acres and destroyed nearly 300 structures.

“On a personal level, I lost where I have a little farm north of Luther. I lost my home at my farmhouse,” Stitt shared. “So really, this kind of stuff hits close to home.”

Aid crews from Louisiana and Arkansas are arriving in Oklahoma to help extinguish the fires over the weekend, the governor said.

The wildfires and winds caused widespread power outages, leaving 14,000 customers without power as of Saturday morning, according to Stitt.

In Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Saturday ahead of “severe and potentially damaging weather” expected to hit the state in the evening.

“Given the uncertainty of this storm and the fact it will move through Georgia overnight, individuals and families should prepare now and make plans to stay safe,” he added.

Severe weather is expected to hit much of the Southeast Saturday evening, with the main threats being tornadoes, damaging winds, and possible hail, Kemp’s office said.

Another round of severe thunderstorms has fired up on Saturday, igniting what will likely be an even more dangerous tornado outbreak than Friday’s.

“Numerous significant tornadoes” are expected Saturday into Sunday morning across the Deep South, according to the Storm Prediction Center, which issued a rare level 5 of 5 high risk for severe thunderstorms for the day in Alabama and Mississippi.

This is the first high risk issued for severe thunderstorms since last May and only the fifth in the past five years, signaling unusual confidence that Saturday could be a devastating day.

It’s also because the number of tornadoes isn’t the only concern. Those that form could be unusually strong and long-lasting, increasing the risk for destruction and deaths.

At least 11 people have been reported dead in Missouri following a tornado outbreak across the state Friday and overnight into Saturday.

Six deaths were reported in Wayne County as of Saturday morning, according to Wayne County emergency manager Waylon Freeze and the Missouri Highway Patrol. Three people were killed at one campground in the county, while two others were killed at a second campground, after a camper ended up in a river. Additionally, one person was killed at the River Valley Campground near the Bollinger County line, according to Sgt. Clark Parrott with Missouri Highway Patrol Troop E.

Missouri Highway Patrol reported one fatality in Jefferson County.

Three fatalities were previously reported in Ozark County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In Butler County, a tornado struck Poplar Bluff, killing one person and injuring several others, Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers told CNN.

In Texas: At least three people died Friday in vehicle collisions in Texas, when heavy winds generated severe dust storms and reduced visibility, according to local authorities.

Two of those fatalities were reported in separate collisions in Parmer County, in the southwestern Texas Panhandle, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Cindy Barkley told CNN Friday evening. Another driver died in a crash on Interstate 40 in Gray County, she said.

InArkansas: At least three people died and 29 were injured due to severe weather in Arkansas overnight as the cross-country storm system moved through the state.

The deaths were reported in Independence County, in the northern part of the state, and injuries were reported in eight counties. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) reported damage in sixteen counties.