Officials in the central and southern US are currently assessing the damage caused by reported tornadoes and powerful storms that resulted in the tragic deaths of at least three individuals on Wednesday. As residents from East Texas to South Carolina prepare for a severe weather threat on Thursday, the situation remains critical.
More than 9 million people in northern and central Georgia, southeastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina are under a tornado watch until 1:00 p.m., according to the Storm Prediction Center. Cities such as Atlanta, Macon in Georgia, and Chattanooga in Tennessee are included in the watch.
Tennessee bore the brunt of the severe weather on Wednesday, with multiple tornado reports and flash flooding leading to water rescues and blocked roads north of Nashville. Tornado warnings were issued in several southern states, including a 'large and destructive tornado' in Henagar, Alabama.
Across the impacted region, there have been 13 tornadoes reported, with wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph and hail as large as grapefruits. The severe weather threat is expected to shift south on Thursday towards the Southern Plains and Southeast, with supercells ongoing in parts of the Mid-South region.
The storms have already turned deadly, with one person each reported dead in Claiborne County, Tennessee, Maury County, and Gaston County, North Carolina. Several injuries have been reported, with significant damage in Maury County and fallen trees causing havoc in North Carolina.
A flash flood emergency was issued for Robertson and Sumner counties in middle Tennessee, with reports of 4 to 7 inches of rain falling across the region. Power outages have affected thousands of residents in North Carolina and Tennessee.
The severe weather threat is expected to continue on Thursday, with an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms from East Texas to central and southern Georgia and far southern South Carolina. Very large hail is probable in central Texas, while severe hail and damaging winds are possible in a broader region stretching from east Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast.
As the associated cold front moves south and east on Friday, the scattered thunderstorms threat is expected to linger but remain confined to the Southeast. This year has seen a high level of tornado activity, with at least one tornado reported in the US every day since April 25.
