Tornadoes and severe storms slammed parts of the South and Midwest on Wednesday leaving at least 10 dead—including a 7-year-old boy in Mississippi—injuring at least 40 others and leaving a trail of damage across the country. Nearly 20 tornadoes have been reported, spread out across at least 10 states, and that number will likely grow as more reports come in.
(MORE: Severe Weather Threat Continues
On Thursday, heavy rain flooded parts of Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina causing mudslides, multiple road closures. It also shut down two stations on Atlanta's public rail system.
Officials in Mississippi have confirmed that four people were killed Wednesday evening in Benton County and two more in Marshall County in connection with the severe weather that swept through the area. Two are still missing in Benton and Tippah counties.
Holly Springs coroner James Anderson told The Weather Channel that a 7-year-old boy was found dead in a van on Highway 7 outside Holly Springs in Marshall County. The boy's family was taken in unknown condition to a nearby hospital. Anderson didn't release any preliminary cause of death, but did confirm it was related to the severe weather in the area.
The three other deaths in Benton County were confirmed by the emergency management director for Benton County. The vicitms have not been identified, but Benton County Coroner Shane Ward said the dead are two men and one woman, all approximately in their 60s.
At least 40 people across six Mississippi counties were injured in severe storms, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
One person—an 18-year-old woman—died in Arkansas. The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed three fatalities on Wednesday evening in Tennessee. No further details were immediately available.
Here's a look at the other problems that have been caused by these storms so far.
Mississippi
A tornado touched down near Clarksdale, Mississippi on Wednesday. ((Guy Malvezzi))
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down near Clarksdale, a town of 17,000 in Coahoma County in northwest Mississippi. A preliminary damage survey team has assigned at least an EF-3 rating for the tornado.
"I could see it coming," Clarksdale resident Michael Johnson told WREG. "I was already outside, I could hear the sirens down from town — sounds like Learjets. Sounds like about 10 Learjets taking off."
Johnson grabbed his brother-in-law and 8-year-old niece -- and even a family he never met driving down the road -- and they all took cover at his parents' home on Highway 322 as the tornado hit.
"The roof came off," Johnson told WREG. "I was holding my dogs, and it was picking me off the floor. I am lucky to be alive. I get to see my kids."
Johnson is alive, but his parents' home can't be saved. The roof caved in, and debris is everywhere. Even the Christmas tree was crushed.
The National Weather Service received reports that at least 15 homes just south of Clarksdale were severely damaged or destroyed. Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett told the Associated Press the only confirmed casualty was a dog killed by storm debris, but as many as 20 homes and a local airport were hit.
"I'm looking at some horrific damage right now," the mayor said. "Sheet metal is wrapped around trees, there are overturned airplanes, a building is just destroyed."
At least two injuries were confirmed in Panola County, and the Sardis Fire Department reported several homes with major damage just north of town.
According to the Benton County sheriff's dispatch, there was widespread damage, power outages, trees down and reports of people trapped in homes on Hamilton Road and Minor Bridge Road in Ashland. Dozens have been reported injured in Benton County. Mississippi Highway 5 is closed.
In Marshall County, where the 7-year-old child was killed, homes have been reported damaged and power lines downed near Mississippi Highway 4 and Mississippi Highway 7, located near the city of Holly Springs.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Agency (TEMA) declared a Level III State of Emergency Wednesday night after at least two people were killed in severe storms in Tennessee. The deaths were confirmed by the Tennessee Department of Health. The victims are a man and woman from Perry County, but their identities have not been released.
According
to the Wayne County Sheriff's office, search and rescue crews are going
door to door to look for injured or people who may be trapped in homes
or structures. The sheriff's office also said the post office in Lutts,
Tennessee has been destroyed and several trees and power lines are down.
Nashville
Mayor Megan Barry had encouraged businesses to send employees home
early Wednesday so they weren't on roads when the storms arrived.Earlier storms caused problems Monday, ABC News reported, when at least 10 people were injured by a falling tree on the campus of Vanderbilt University during a tour late Monday morning. Four people were hospitalized following the ordeal, and all are expected to recover, the report added.
Officials believe rain brought down the hackberry tree, as a statement from the university revealed the roots were still alive when it collapsed. About 120 prospective students and parents were on the campus tour, and witnesses said they heard a large cracking sound before the tree fell, News Channel 5 reported.
Indiana
A fast-moving line of storms delivered many 60-70mph gusts today and at least one tornado spin-up embedded along the line in Johnson County in Greenwood.According to the NWS, an EF1 tornado touched down near town Wednesday evening, leaving a damage track around a quarter of a mile wide and about a mile long, WTHR reports.
"We do have some damage back in the woods here with a lot of tall trees that are uprooted, and there's another house where the tornado started - that northwest section is totally collapsed and there are some other homes back in there that are damaged, but just some light roof damage," NWS meteorologist Dan McCarthy told the station.
McCarthy also said that damage to an animal hospital at SR 135 was consistent with a tornado. No one (including the animals) was injured, but there was extensive damage to the building, including the roof, which blew off.
At the Height of the storm Indianapolis Power and Light reported around 5,000 customers without power.
Additional damage was reported in Noblesville, where at least 16 homes in the Twin Oaks subdivision were affected by high winds and heavy rain. The storms also flipped an unoccupied mobile home in Noblesville along State Road 32. The sheriff's department says it hadn't been occupied in years.
Arkansas
The 18-year-old woman killed in Pope County, Arkansas has been identified as Michaela Remus, Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said late Wednesday evening.The Pope County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that Remus was killed Wednesday morning when a tree fell on a home northeast of Atkins. Her 18-month-old sister, also inside the home, was rescued by emergency personnel.
The toddler was transported to a local hospital, but his or her condition is unknown. Three other people were inside the home and escaped unharmed.
"It's terrible that this happened, especially at Christmas," Jones told the AP.
(PHOTOS: Severe Storms Rock the South)
Here are some pictures from storm damage on Liberty Hill Road from Sharp co sheriff @Region8News
Bay AR baseball hail broke windows in town and cars. #arwx @nwsmemphis pic.twitter.com/SUvUvq7QTI http://fb.me/JiuawLNM
Trees and power lines were downed across Yell County, according to storm reports from the NWS Wednesday morning. It has yet to be determined if the damage was caused by a tornado or straight-line winds.
Georgia
Heavy rain in Atlanta flooded two stations on the the city's public rail system Thursday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority spokeswoman Saba Long said there were delays on all rail lines, and the Garnett and West End stations were closed.“Rail service between the Five Points and Oakland City stations has been terminated and a bus bridge has been established,” she said. “This will remain in effect until it is safe to resume rail service.”
The Cateret River is flooding parts of Ellijay, and swift water teams are assisting with rescues and evacuations, the NWS reports.
Secondary roads in Fannin County are flooding, and cabins along US Highway 76 are beginning to take on water. At least one county road has been completely blocked by a mudslide.
According to the NWS, there is extensive flooding on a street in Carrollton, in Carroll County, with cars stuck in the water. Several roads in Pike County are flooded as well.
The storms also knocked out power around the state. As of mid Thursday morning Georgia Power was reporting outages affecting more than 6,000 customers.
North Carolina
The line of severe weather crossing the South has brought flooding and mudslides to Macon County, North Carolina Thursday morning.The NWS is reporting that musdlides have covered at least three roads in Macon County and several other roads in the county are impassable due to high water.
Michigan
The NWS has confirmed an EF1 tornado hit the town of Canton Wednesday evening, the first tornado ever recorded in Michigan in December. Rich Pollman, a warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS, said damage surveys indicate the twister was on the ground for only about two minutes, moving along at about 60 mph.“The track of the tornado was about 2 miles long and about 100 yards wide,” Pollman told the Detroit News. “We...discovered a lot of uprooted pine trees. At least four buildings had sections of their roofs blown away. Once high winds enter a building, they look for a way out.”
According to the paper, the weather service said additional damage occurred near the intersection of Joy and Haggerty, where a metal roof was ripped off a gas station, but there were no reported injuries from the storm.
Consumers Energy reported Thursday afternoon that more than 8,000 customers in western and northern Michigan were without electricity after the storms toppled trees, utility poles and power lines.
South Carolina
The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF0 tornado about three miles southwest of Monck's Corner. The funnel was only touched down for about a minute, and traveled less than half a mile on the ground.Alabama
The storms dropped heavy rain across Alabama. According to weather.com meteorologist Quincy Vagell, at least two locations in the southern part of the state saw three-day rain totals above 12 inches, while Montgomery saw just under 2 inches in the same time frame.In the small town of Loxley, across Mobile Bay, Mandy Wilson worked the cash register at Love's Travel Shop Wednesday morning, and she was sure to warn drivers to be careful as flooding worsened.
"It's very ugly; it's very scary," she told the Associated Press. "There's an 18-wheeler turned over on I-10. There's water standing really bad. It's a really interesting way to spend Christmas Eve eve."
Illinois
The town of Oakley, located just east of Decatur in central Illinois, reported storm damage to the roof of a church late Wednesday morning. An image of the damaged church was shared by a resident to the Facebook page of WAND-TV after the storms passed.
STORM DAMAGE: The roof was destroyed at the Oakley Brick Church of the Brethren near Cerro Gordo.
Viewer picture of storm damage near Mulkeytown, Illinois
Louisiana
A pair of tornadoes, both rated EF1, were confirmed Monday night in Rapides Parish as a line of storms moved through. The Lake Charles office of the NWS originally said three tornadoes were confirmed, but later said only two twisters hit the area Monday night.(MORE: The 10 Deadliest Tornadoes in U.S. History)
Both tornadoes packed maximum winds of 95 mph, and one flipped a trailer southeast of Calcasieu, injuring the man inside, according to the AP. The second tornado was in progress less than a mile from Louisiana State University's Alexandria campus, destroying one home and leaving several others with minor damage, the NWS reported.
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