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Deadly, destructive thunderstorms and tornadoes tore through parts of the central and southern US Wednesday, marking another chaotic day of severe weather amid a two-week streak of danger.
At least one tornado has been reported in the US every day since April 25 – a streak of 14 days and counting – and there have been more than 300 reported tornadoes during that span.
April and May are the most active months for tornadoes and severe weather, and that reputation will continue Thursday, when more than 60 million people in the South and East are at risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
The South is still dealing with substantial damage wrought by storms Wednesday. Tennessee was especially hard hit, with multiple tornadoes and water rescues amid flash flood emergencies in the state.
Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean/USA Today Network
Ryan Whitten walks around his destroyed home Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tennessee.
A tornado emergency unfolded Wednesday evening in Maury County, located about 25 miles south of Nashville. The National Weather Service warned of a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” near the city of Spring Hill. The tornado killed one person and injured about a dozen others, according to county officials.
In northern Alabama, a “large and destructive tornado” prompted a tornado emergency in the area of Henagar, a city of a couple thousand people roughly 55 miles east of Huntsville, the National Weather Service said. It’s still unclear what, if any, damage the tornado caused in the area.
Here’s the latest on ongoing storms and destruction in the central and southern US:
At least three dead in the South: One person was killed on Wednesday in Claiborne County, Tennessee, when a tree fell on their car amid intense storms, the county’s emergency management office said. Another person died in Tennessee after a tornado touched down in Maury County Wednesday evening. In North Carolina, one person was killed in Gaston County near Charlotte when a tree fell on their vehicle, officials said.
WxChasing/LSM
Damage in Columbia, Tennessee, from a tornado.
Tornado injures several, causes significant damage: About a dozen people were injured by the tornado in Maury County, Tennessee, officials confirmed in a press conference Thursday. At least one person is in serious condition, Maury Regional Medical Center spokesperson Rita Thompson told CNN. Video from the scene showed buildings torn to shreds, homes missing large sections of roofs and walls and large trees snapped in half.
Water rescues amid flash flood emergencies: Up to 9 inches of rain triggered flash flood emergencies and water rescues in communities just north of Nashville, Tennessee, Wednesday evening. Flooding in Robertson County blocked roadways and forced water rescues, the county’s emergency management agency told CNN. Emergency crews have also responded to water rescue calls and evacuated flooded homes in Sumner County, the county’s emergency management director Ken Weidner said. Sumner County Schools are closed Thursday due to the flooding.
Fallen trees damage cars and homes in North Carolina: About 1,200 weather-related calls for service were made in Gaston County Wednesday, Emergency Management and Fire Services Deputy Chief Lance Foulk said during a news conference Wednesday evening, including multiple calls for fallen trees on vehicles, homes and power lines. Schools in the county are closed Thursday, officials said.
Thousands of power outages: Amid the severe storms, several states have experienced power outages. More than 80,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina and 80,000-plus more in Tennessee were without power as of Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
Courtesy Robbie Murray
A tornado hits the Spring Hill, Tennessee, area on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Lingering storms from Wednesday tracked through several states in the Southeast Thursday morning, unloading torrential rain, strong winds and hail. Another around of damaging storms is expected in the afternoon and evening.
Storms will start to bubble up in Texas during the afternoon and could unload very large hail, damaging wind gusts and even a tornado or two.
Storms will likely start later Thursday across much of the Gulf Coast and Southeast. A Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Thursday from Texas to Georgia and southern South Carolina.
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Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes are possible within any storms. Powerful winds will be the main threat for areas closer to the coast.
Heavy rainfall will raise the risk of flash flooding across much of the South. Areas from Texas to the Carolinas are under a Level 2 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall Thursday, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
