© APTornado damage
A tornado that tore through Albany, Georgia, left at least 4 dead. The town of roughly 77,000 people saw significant damage with trees and power lines downed and blocking streets in the Radium Springs area, WALB reports. A child was reportedly trapped by a tree during the storm.
In a Facebook live video, County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas described the town as looking as if a nuclear bomb went off.
"We need a lot of help," he said in the video. "This is really bad."
The multiple rounds of storms fired up Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening and Sunday morning, killing four in Mississippi and damaging homes and buildings in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
There were more than 200 reports of severe weather and more than two dozen reports of tornadoes so far this weekend as of early Sunday morning in an ongoing multi-day tornado and severe weather outbreak.
Here are the latest impacts from this deadly storm system.
© WALBDamage to the Sunshine Acres trailer park near Adel, Georgia, caused by a likely tornado.
A 50-acre brush fire sparked by downed power lines occurred on Ash White Terrace in Crystal River, according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Department.
An injury was reported in the Lake City area after a large tree split a home in half near Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 41.
Strong winds in Hillsborough left a pool screen and fence damaged Sunday.
Georgia
The deaths caused by the storms were concentrated in Cook County, where residents awoke to heavy damage on Sunday morning, including a mobile home park that was leveled by a likely tornado near Adel, a town of roughly 5,300.
Cook County Coroner Tim Purvis told the Associated Press an apparent tornado "leveled" numerous mobile homes before dawn Sunday at the Sunshine Acres mobile home park near Adel. He said emergency responders were still searching for survivors hours later.
Purvis estimated the park has about 40 mobile homes total and roughly half of them were destroyed.
Georgia Emergency Management Agency officials told the Associated Press that a total of 15 people died in southern Georgia as the storms hit the area. Eight of the deaths were reported in Cook County.
Two of the deceased were killed by a possible tornado early Sunday morning, officials from the Brooks County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Both victims were in the same home in Barney, which was displaced onto Highway 122, according to WALB.
In Berrien County, the sheriff's office confirmed to the National Weather Service that two people died near New Lois, likely in a continuation of the reported tornado that hit Adel.
Several roads were flooded and one car was swept off of Ward Mountain into Culvert near Dozier Creek Sunday.
Cook County resident Jenny Bullard told the Associated Press that she and her parents were fortunate to escape with their lives after an apparent tornado destroyed their home. She had her arm in a sling Sunday afternoon as she searched for salvageable belongings in the rubble that used to be her family's home.
The 19-year-old says a wall and a door fell on her, but she managed to reach her father and help free him from a pile of debris. They escaped with her mother through a hole in the wall of what had been a home office.
Strong winds downed a tree onto a home in the Pinecliff Drive area of Valdosta and power lines collapsed on five homes, according to NWS.
There were reports of wind damaging a Wal-Mart in the city of Warner Robins. The Macon Telegraph reported that Houston County EMA Director Jimmy Williams confirmed significant damage to the store, with water in the aisles and a gas leak. In addition, there were further reports of downed trees in the area and a damaged building at Robins Air Force Base.
Roof damage from heavy winds was reported in Howard, and several structures reported major damage in Washington County.
More than 17,000 remained without power across the state as of Sunday evening, WSBTV.com reports. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for seven counties in the southern half of the state.
Mississippi
On Saturday afternoon, Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict announced the identities of four victims: Earnest Perkins, 58; Cleveland Madison, 20; David Wayne McCoy, 47 and Simona Cox, 72.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency during a Saturday afternoon press conference.
Many survivors, like Darryl McMorris, told stories of the tornado's horrifying path of destruction. He told the Associated Press that he held onto his daughters as the twister destroyed their house, wall by wall - one of which fell on top of them. They all survived, but their house is a total loss, the report added.
"Is God mad at us?" his daughter asked.
At least 50 people were treated for injuries at area hospitals, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn told the AP. Insured damages are likely to top $200 million in Hattiesburg alone, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said.
"You've got so many buildings that are for all practical purposes totally destroyed," Andy Case, a disaster recovery specialist with the Department of Insurance, told the AP.
The city also tweeted Saturday morning that Hattiesburg firefighters and police went door-to-door to rescue tornado victims, and Mayor Johnny DuPree signed an emergency declaration for the city of 46,000 people in the southern part of Mississippi.
Louisiana
The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office said that two dozen homes were damaged near Plain Dealing, Louisiana; five of those homes sustained 'heavy damage'. There were no injuries reported. They did not say whether the damage was caused by a tornado or non-tornadic winds, but the National Weather Service will survey the damage at a later time to make that final decision.
Ten to 15 homes were damaged or destroyed in Natchitoches Parish by reported tornadoes and storms, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office said. A few injuries were also associated with the storms, but none were considered life-threatening.
According to the Sheriff's Department, a man in Point Place, Louisiana, "was sucked out of his brick home through the front door and thrown in his front yard."
Texas
Reported tornadoes damaged at least 8 homes in Scottsville, Texas, late Saturday afternoon. KTAL reports that the entire area is without power as crews work to clear downed power lines and trees. Luckily, no one was injured.
"This used to be my house," Scottsville resident Earnest Marshall told the news station. "The house shifted, so I covered my head and waited and it just got tore up."
Saturday wet roads contributed to the deaths of two men in Harris County, Click2Houston.com reports. Three men were in the car driving on Gears Road at 11 p.m. when the incident occurred. The driver lost control of the vehicle, causing them to crash through a fence and into a tree on the north side of the roadway.
The two victims were identified as David King and Joshua Vinson. The third passenger was transported to Memoria Hermann hospital.
Mississippi
Mississippi was once again hit by strong storms overnight Saturday with new reports of damage in Lauderdale County. WTOK reports that at least 6 homes in the Lauderdale Community suffered serious damage and that at least one person was injured after severe storms tore through the area.
The state's Emergency Management Agency said the tornado damaged buildings in Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties Saturday morning. Search and rescue teams were dispatched to help emergency management officials in the Hattiesburg area. Interstate 59 north of Hattiesburg was closed due to debris, and cleanup of the area is expected to take several weeks.
© Ryan MooreA wide shot of all the homes damaged looking towards Edwards Street in downtown Hattiesburg.
"It woke me up and half the roof was gone," Smith told the AP while surveying the damage.
As she worked to clean up what she could, rain continued to fall, ruining her belongings.
"I don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm going to try to get some help," she said.
Officials at William Carey University in Hattiesburg tweeted that there was damage to dorms and several injuries reported on their campus. According to WDAM.com, WCU women's soccer player Taylor Gautreaux lost three fingers when a door was slammed shut on her hand. Gautreaux's coach, Danny Owens, told WDAM she's recovering in a hospital.
"Campus is closed until further notice," the school's official Twitter account said. "Students are being escorted from campus. Arrangements will be made for students who cannot go home."
In addition, William Carey University's public relations coordinator Mia Overton told WDAM that most buildings on campus had sustained damage.
"(There is) damage to most buildings on campus including cars and a home across campus is damaged," Overton said.
The NWS surveyed the damage Saturday and said the tornado would be rated at least EF3, with several hard-hit areas still yet to be viewed.
According to the Hattiesburg American, 15,000 homes and businesses lost power following the storms.
South Carolina
At least five homes were damaged by a severe storm in Bamberg County Saturday afternoon, according to WRDW.com. There was no indication the storm caused any injuries, but the report also said multiple families were displaced, as some damaged homes were uninhabitable.
More than 100 downed trees blocked roads all over the county, WRDW also reported.
Alabama
A severe bout of weather continued to slam parts of the Yellowhammer State Sunday as radar confirmed tornadoes were spotted near Dothan and Bullock County. Possible tornadoes were also reported Saturday morning in Alabama, near Toxey and Wetumpka.
Trees and utility poles were downed and there was various structural damage in the Pepperell Village area in Opelika Sunday.
A possible tornado tore the roof off of a mobile home in Chewacla State Park in Lee County Sunday, according to NWS.
Alabama Power reported that approximately 5,150 residents lost electricity in central Alabama, according to local affiliate WSFA 12. Downed trees and power lines were reported in several counties; there also was a report of streets flooding in Autauga County.
One minor injury was reported in Mobile and "significant tree and power line damage from a possible tornado in Choctaw County near Toxey" was also witnessed, according to AL.com.
Pike County EMA reported on Facebook that there were no functioning county sirens to warn residents of incoming tornadoes and advised residents to find other means to stay alert.
Trailer Parks = Tornado Magnets. (Disproportionately.)
I know: I've lived in a few in my poverty stricken college years. . . Oh well.
R.C.