Storms hit region

A severe weather outbreak threatened parts of the south-central U.S. early Tuesday afternoon with strong thunderstorms and multiple tornadoes throughout the region.

As the news broke, The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings, watches, and severe thunderstorm threats.

School districts, colleges, universities, businesses, and afternoon activities were canceled and closed early Tuesday afternoon in preparation for severe storms and possible tornadoes that moved through central Mississippi.

The NWS warned that severe weather was likely across the region in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

“The storms left thousands of residents in the dark with over 38,000 people in Alabama without power, approximately 6,000 in Georgia, and more than 6,600 without electricity in Mississippi”, according to Poweroutage.us.

Local public safety officials across the region described the threat of tornadoes as a “dangerous situation” after tornadoes made landfall leaving residents with substantial damage.

Choctaw County, Lowndes, Jasper, Lawerence, Jefferson Davis, Simpson and Marion experienced structural and tree damages during the storm that could be linked to tornadoes as well as areas in Alabama, NWS reports.

Despite the inclement weather, no injuries were reported in the metro area, but two Alabama residents lost their lives to the storm.

According to Christina Thornton, Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency director, Two deaths were reported after a tornado landed in Montgomery County, Alabama, just after 3:30 a.m.

Montgomery officials said the victims, a 39-year-old woman, and an 8year-old boy, were a mother and a son.

The fatalities were confirmed by MCEMA in the area along Lower Wetumpka Road.