John Yang:

Elsewhere, the storm system brought driving rain and flash floods. Surging water left panicked people clinging to rescuers. In Starkville, Mississippi, tornado warning alarms blared as lightning lit up the sky over Mississippi State University.

In West Monroe, Louisiana, lightning struck an unoccupied elementary school, setting it on fire. From there, the damage spread as the severe weather front moved north and east. It spun off a possible tornado in Ohio, tearing up power lines.

Parts of Raleigh, North Carolina, woke early this morning to destruction, after heavy winds ripped through neighborhoods. And there may be more to come. Forecasters say more than 80 million Americans could be affected by new weather fronts moving across the country this week.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm John Yang.