Severe storms and possible strong tornadoes threaten the South today

By Aya Elamroussi and Rob Shackelford, CNN

Severe storms, including possible strong tornadoes, will sweep across parts of the South and central US Thursday, putting millions of people at risk of damaging winds and large hail.

Overall, nearly 50 million people across a large swath of the country could see a range of severe weather impacts.

The strongest threat, a Level 3 of 5, includes more than 10 million people in central Gulf states through portions of the Ohio Valley, including the cities of Nashville, Cincinnati, Louisville, Birmingham and Jackson.

“Strong to severe thunderstorms will likely erupt across the mid-Mississippi Valley this morning, followed by the Tennessee Valley and into the interior Deep South this evening and overnight tonight,” the National Weather Service said early Thursday. “Large hail, damaging winds, and strong tornadoes are possible in these areas, especially the interior Deep South.”

Areas extending from eastern Louisiana to central Ohio, including Columbus, Memphis, Baton Rouge, Montgomery and Mobile are under a Level 2 of 5 slight risk of severe storms.

The largest threat of excessive rainfall is expected to be across the Tennessee Valley through Thursday, the weather service noted.

The same storm system is also expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow over the central Plains through lower Michigan. Winter weather alerts extend from northern Kansas and southern Nebraska through central Michigan.

“A zone of ice and mixed precipitation can be expected just north of the system’s track as well,” the weather service said.

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