Screenshot/Tyrone Dickens/Facebook
A tornado toppled houses in Monroe, Louisiana on April 12, 2020.
- At least six people are dead in Mississippi as strong tornadoes and severe storms moved across the South on Sunday evening.
- The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch across 11 counties in central Mississippi until 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.
- According to the NWS, Birmingham, Ala., Montgomery, Ala., Huntsville, Ala., Columbus, Ga., and Atlanta, Ga. are all major population centers at moderate risk of severe storms. Over 9.4 million people live in those areas.
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At least six people are dead in Mississippi as strong tornadoes and severe storms swept across the South on Sunday evening.
According to Weather.com, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) confirmed that six people have died after several tornadoes struck the state on Sunday, including three deaths in Jefferson Davis County, one death in Walthall County, and two fatalities in Lawrence County.
A tornado also hit Monroe, Louisiana, a city with about 50,000 people, on Sunday morning. Video from the event posted to Facebook by local Tyrone Dickens show trucks overturned and houses completely flattened by strong winds.
Video posted to Twitter showed trees toppled in Covington County, Mississippi.
Paul Sheffield, the emergency management director in Jones County, Mississippi told Weather.com that several people in the county were seriously injured.
According to Weather.com, damages were also reported across Louisiana, including in Kingston.
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch across 11 counties in central Mississippi until 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The service also warned of moderate risk of severe thunderstorms across eastern Mississippi into much of Alabama and Western Georgia.
"An outbreak of severe thunderstorms is likely through tonight, with the greatest threat expected across parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia," the service said. "Strong tornadoes, widespread damaging winds, and large hail are all possible."
According to the NWS, Birmingham, Ala., Montgomery, Ala., Huntsville, Ala., Columbus, Ga., and Atlanta, Ga. are all major population centers at moderate risk of severe storms. Over 9.4 million people live in those areas.
According to CNN, over 95 million people across nearly 20 states in the southeast face severe weather threats on Sunday and through Monday.
According to USA Today, an NWS meteorologist warned that the tornadoes would be "violent" and "catastrophic" in a Facebook live stream.
The NWS says that storms are predicted to continue spreading through Alabama and Georgia overnight and into the northeast overnight.
Damage from the 1st tornado in Covington County, MS. 3 NW Seminary, MS on US-49. Likely a significant EF-2+ tornado. #mswx pic.twitter.com/O0rOtHYWRq
- Quincy Vagell (@stormchaserQ) April 13, 2020