By Tim Harris
less than an hour ago
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- The threat of severe weather including some tornadoes continues in the South.
- This is part of a severe weather outbreak that has been cutting across the nation since Monday.
- Last night, a flash flood emergency was issued by the National Weather Service.
The death toll is rising from an outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes that started Monday in the Plains and has since pushed into the Midwest and South.
We now know of at least four deaths from this multi-day outbreak. Two people died in Tennessee and one death has been confirmed in North Carolina since the storms started there yesterday. A fourth victim was confirmed Monday night after an EF4 tornado struck Barnsdall, Oklahoma.
Here’s the latest on this outbreak; For our forecast on what to expect today, click here.
(6:30 a.m. ET) Drone Footage Shows Extensive Damage In Tennessee
In Tennessee, where a tornado emergency was declared, homes were ripped down to their foundations when storms shoved through the region. Drone footage from the town of Columbia lends an idea of the extent of the damage seen in Tennessee. In addition to road closures, the mayor of Columbia said officials knew of “resulting bodily injuries and property damage” due to the storms.
See the video here.
(6:20 a.m. ET) Damage, Injuries Reported In Northern Alabama
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were injured or the severity of those injuries, but crews worked through the night to clear debris following the storms, the report added.
(6:00 a.m. ET) Over 200,000 Without Power
According to data compiled by PowerOutage.us, more than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power early Thursday morning. The largest number of outages reported was in North Carolina where more than 90,000 utility customers did not have power. North Carolina was hit by a large storm last night that toppled trees and took down power lines in some places.
(5:45 a.m. ET) Tornado Watch Issued In Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch largely for north Georgia that stretched into parts of North Carolina and Tennessee as well. The agency warns of the possibility of “a couple tornadoes” as well as hail and wind gusts reaching 70 mph.
(5:15 a.m. ET) Flash Flood Warnings Issued For Parts Of The South
Among weather warnings that are active this morning, flash flood warnings are the most numerous. Last night in Tennessee, water rescues were required to rescue people who had become trapped by flooding. The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency.
Another flare-up of severe storms expected today could trigger new thunderstorm or tornado advisories later in the day.
(5 a.m. ET) Over 900 Reports Of Severe Weather Since This Outbreak Began
The storms battering the South are following an outbreak that cut across the country from the Plains beginning Monday. Since then, there have been at least 919 reports of severe weather. Those reports include tornadoes, hail and damaging wind.
