Tornadoes rip across Southeast, leave 4 dead

A series of severe storms - including tornadoes - touched down in three southern states Tuesday, killing four people, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses, flipping cars, knocking down trees, and downing power lines.

While snow fell in some Midwestern states Tuesday - nearly 2 feet in South Dakota's Black Hills - a strong storm system expected to drop rain along the East Coast and snow from Missouri to Michigan developed in Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana, among other southern states.

The severe storms in the South killed at least four people. The worst damage appears to be from a twister that roared through southern Mississppi, from Columbia to Sumrall.

Columbia Fire Department Capt. Tommy Graves said one fatality occurred at Wilks Trailer Park, while a second Columbia fatality was confirmed by Marion County Emergency Management Agency Director Aaron Greer.

50 people were injured during the storm.

"You could feel the pressure real bad in your ears whenever it was coming over," said Melissa McKenzie said, store manager of a flower shop in Columbia. "It was pretty scary. Before we knew it was actually coming, you could see this really dark spot come out that was clear on both sides, and we both thought that might be a tornado."

The roof was ripped off a day care center as a tornado ripped through Sumrall, Miss., the Hattiesburg American said. All the children are safe.

A storm system also passed through Jones County on Tuesday, with two deaths confirmed by Jones County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Allyson Knotts.

The National Weather Service has not yet determined the strength or wind speeds of the storms, and will send out survey crews Wednesday to gather information.

Tornadoes were also reported in southern Georgia and in eastern Louisiana, the Storm Prediction Center said.

A tornado watch remains in effect Wednesday morning in portions of southern Georgia and northern Florida, meaning conditions are ripe for tornadoes to form.

The ongoing heavy rain could lead to flooding in some areas Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. A flash flood watch is in effect through Wednesday night in northern Florida, southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama.

Flash flooding remains a concern, especially along the Gulf Coast, the Weather Channel said. Tallahassee, Florida, broke its all-time record for the most rainfall on a December day Tuesday when 7.44 inches fell, crushing the old record of 5.34 inches set Dec. 2, 2009.

Elsewhere across the country, low clouds, showers and fog will cause travel delays at airports in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

On Wednesday, rain, thunderstorms and wind will envelop much of the East Coast, including the Interstate 95 corridor, the Weather Channel said. Despite the rain, record high temperatures in the 50s and 60s are possible from Boston to Washington.

Snow will be a travel issue across Michigan, Illinois, eastern Missouri and northwestern Indiana, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

By Thursday (Christmas Day), howling winds will be the main issue for much of the Great Lakes and Northeast, though a few snow flurries are possible across the area.

In the West, a winter storm will move into the Rockies on Christmas Day. bringing snow to Salt Lake City and Denver, according to The Weather Channel.

Contributing: The Hattiesburg American