Severe storms, tornadoes target South, Midwest

Doyle Rice | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Video captures large tornado touch down in Mississippi A large tornado was captured on video touching down near Marks, Mississippi.

A ferocious storm system slammed parts of the South and Midwest on Wednesday, leaving at least fourteen people dead amid torrential downpours, damaging winds and several tornadoes.

An 18-year-old woman was killed in Pope County, Ark., after a tree fell on her home during high winds, KTHV-TV reported. More than 3,500 power outages were reported throughout the state.

In Mississippi, Marshall County Coroner James Anderson said there was one confirmed fatality in Holly Springs, a seven-year-old boy, and Benton County Sheriff A.A. McMullen confirmed two deaths there.

In the Detroit suburb of Canton, three commercial or industrial buildings suffered damage, the Detroit Free Press was reporting.

@NWSMemphis @NWSJacksonMS Just saw a tornado on ground outside of Clarksdale pic.twitter.com/vBkBsubeWd — Josh McIntyre (@joshmac31) December 23, 2015

As of late afternoon, there had been 12 reports of tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center, in Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi and Tennessee.



Tornado watches remained in effect from southern Mississippi to central Indiana. The greatest threat for tornadoes, damaging wind — some of which could be hurricane force — and occasional hail was for areas from eastern Arkansas and northern Mississippi to extreme southern Illinois, the prediction center said.

The risk for a "few intense, long-tracked tornadoes" will continue into Wednesday night, the center said. In all, 101 million Americans were at risk for severe weather.

CONFIRMED: Pope County officials say one person has been killed after high winds blew a tree down onto a home @THV11 @THV11Weather #arwx — Phil Buck (@Phil_Buck) December 23, 2015

The center issued a "moderate" risk area — the second-highest level on a 5-tier scale — for severe storms in the mid-Mississippi River Valley, including the Memphis area. From least to worst, the five levels are marginal, slight, enhanced, moderate and high.

Moderate risk areas are extremely rare in December, typically occurring just once every other year, according to Greg Carbin, warning coordination meteorologist for the prediction center.

VIEWER PHOTO: Cortez says this was taken at Hwy 49 in Coahoma Co. #mswx pic.twitter.com/ob7aAfrj7n — WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) December 23, 2015

Tornado video sent via Tres Brassell near Batesville, MS. #mswx pic.twitter.com/kWcUJelV4R — Joel Young (@WTVAJoel) December 23, 2015

Yeah, that's a big tornado. Near Clarksdale, MS earlier this afternoon. From @Basehunters pic.twitter.com/uNwWqDgtIx — SevereStudios (@severestudios) December 23, 2015

Damage to vehicles under over pass. Just now near Holly Springs, MS. #mswx pic.twitter.com/s9necP38yb — MOAR Meso (@MOARMeso) December 23, 2015

In addition to severe weather, the risk for flooding will be prevalent farther east, AccuWeather said.

Locations from the central Gulf Coast to the western Carolinas were at risk for the heaviest rain that could trigger flash flooding. "Into Christmas Eve, parts of the Gulf Coast could get 4 to 5 inches of rain with locally higher amounts," AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

In the West, a series of winter storms will continue to affect the Pacific Northwest through Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

"Periods of coastal rain and heavy mountain snow can be expected, with the greatest amounts likely over the Cascades and northern and central Rockies, where amounts in excess of one foot are likely at the highest elevations," the weather service said.