ABC NewsBy MAX GOLEMBO, EMILY SHAPIRO and MELISSA GRIFFIN, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A major storm is bearing down on Alabama and Mississippi, as well as parts of Tennessee and Georgia, where “violent,” “long-track” tornadoes are possible through Thursday evening.
“Violent” means tornado winds could be 166 mph or greater, with ratings of EF-4 or EF-5. These tornadoes are often “long-track,” which means they may be on the ground for at least 25 miles.
The highest risk is in eastern Mississippi and northern Alabama.
A tornado was confirmed at 12:30 p.m. local time near Moundville, Alabama, outside of Tuscaloosa — the same spot struck by a tornado eight days ago.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency for 46 counties, and announced that the health department has rescheduled its Alabama National Guard vaccination clinic in Hale County due to the storm.
In Mississippi, more than two dozen people have taken shelter at an elementary school in Lowndes County ahead of the severe weather. Two other schools, each of which can hold about 400 people, also are open as shelters, the Lowndes County emergency management director told ABC News.
All shelters are providing hand sanitizer and masks, enforcing social distancing and checking people’s temperatures.
Multiple rounds of intense thunderstorms also are expected in the afternoon and evening across eastern Mississippi, northern Alabama and much of Tennessee, from Nashville to Knoxville.
Damaging winds are expected, especially in Tennessee and Kentucky. Wind gusts could reach 80 mph, and very large hail is possible.
By midnight, storms with damaging wind gusts will be moving through Atlanta and into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley.
The storms could also bring heavy downpours, so people should be mindful of possible flash flooding.
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