ATLANTA (AP) — A powerful storm system moved through the South Sunday, threatening more than 20 million people from the eastern Gulf Coast to the Carolinas with severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and damaging winds after claiming two lives in Texas and Mississippi.
The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for parts of the Carolinas and Georgia until 1 p.m. ET, while tornado warnings were activated in southwestern North Carolina, including Ellerbe and Wadesboro. A severe thunderstorm watch covers central North Carolina and eastern South Carolina until 5 p.m. ET.
“This system has already demonstrated its destructive potential,” said John Stevens, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. “We’re particularly concerned about the threat of gusty winds and isolated tornadoes.”
The storms have left more than 170,000 utility customers without power across five states. Mississippi reported the highest number with over 60,000 outages, followed by North Carolina with 35,800, Georgia with 32,800, Alabama with 22,700, and South Carolina with 18,200 customers affected.
Air travel faced significant disruption, with more than 4,200 flights delayed and 300 canceled nationwide. Charlotte Douglas International Airport reported 621 delayed flights and 32 cancellations, while Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport logged 155 delays and 93 cancellations.
Saturday’s preliminary reports documented five tornadoes in Louisiana and Texas, causing widespread structural damage. In Athens, Alabama, fallen trees damaged multiple buildings.
Major cities including Jacksonville, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Atlanta remain at risk for severe weather through early afternoon. Emergency management officials urge residents to stay alert and prepared for weather emergencies.
