Severe weather updates: Mother, son killed after dozens of tornadoes rip through South
A mother and her 8-year-old son have died in central Alabama after a tornado with winds of up to 115 mph struck overnight, officials said.
At least reported 34 tornadoes have touched down in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service.
On Wednesday, 11 tornadoes were confirmed near New Orleans, Shreveport, Jackson and Birmingham.
Montgomery Fire Rescue saved one person and extracted two bodies from a home in Montgomery County, Alabama, where winds measured up to 115 mph from a confirmed EF-1 tornado. The victims were identified as Chiquita Broadnax, 39, and her 8-year-old son, Cedarrius Te. The child's father, Cedric Lamar Tell, was injured and taken to the hospital, family members told ABC News.
The deadly tornado struck Montgomery County just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Montgomery County officials said first responders saved the lives of many others.
The EF-1 tornado in Montgomery County wreaked havoc in the Flatwood community, according to the National Weather Service.
EF-1 and EF-2 tornadoes have been confirmed elsewhere in the region, including in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, and Magnolia, Mississippi. Another EF-1 in Eutaw, Alabama, caused severe damage to the Sagewood Apartment Complex, according to the National Weather Service.
Tornadoes were also reported near Bakers and Steens, Mississippi. In Vernon, Mississippi, hail the size of a quarter and Ping-Pong ball was reported. There were also reports of structural damage across several locations in Mississippi.
Texas and Kentucky got hail the size of golf balls.
Images from the affected areas show entire homes reduced to rubble by the tornadoes.
As the storm system moves east, more severe weather is possible for Florida’s Panhandle, southern Alabama and Georgia. The tornado threat will be low on Wednesday; the major threat now is damaging winds.
High-wind alerts have been issued for most of the Northeast, where winds could gust 40 to 60 mph. Behind this storm system, colder air will produce lake-effect snow from just south of Buffalo to Watertown, New York, where seven to 15 inches of snow is possible.
Strong thunderstorms are possible from the Florida Panhandle to the Carolinas. In addition, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from Washington, D.C., to Boston.
ABC News' Alexandra Faul and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
