Round 2 of tornadoes hammers the South

At least 5 touch down in 3 states days after storms killed 23 in Alabama

A new round of severe weather ripped through the southern USA over the weekend, but there were fewer reports of injuries after tornadoes killed 23 people a week ago.

At least five tornadoes were confirmed: three in northwest Louisiana, one in central Arkansas and one in northern Mississippi. All were rated EF1 by the National Weather Service, on the weaker end of the tornado intensity scale.

Weather radar showed other possible tornado activity from eastern Texas to western Tennessee, so that number could climb after authorities assess the damage Sunday.

The tornadoes and high winds destroyed mobile homes, crushed cars and wiped away farm buildings. Two people were injured in Arkansas.

Prairie County Sheriff Rick Hickman in Arkansas said several buildings were destroyed, power lines were brought down and one home was damaged.

“It was more than straight-line winds. One of the shops, it had debris strewn over 2 miles. (Another) one of them was just twisted in a big twist with metal on top of automobiles that were in there,” Hickman said.

Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee early Sunday. The National Weather Service predicted a chance of more severe weather Tuesday in the southern Plains.

In northeast Mississippi, strong winds tore away roofs and pulled down bricks from buildings in the small community of Walnut, which has a population of about 3,000.

The National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, confirmed on Twitter that a tornado touched down in Montgomery County on Saturday.

To the north, two powerful winter storms threatened dangerous winds and heavy snow from the northern Plains to Upper Midwest.

The National Weather Service warned of hazardous driving conditions on snow-covered roads in the target areas.

By mid-morning Saturday, parts of the western Dakotas had seen as much as 9 inches of snow.

Much of central and western Minnesota, in and around the Twin Cities, braced for up to 10 inches of snow.