UPDATE: Tennessee's storm deaths now stand at six, after emergency authorities confirmed that three people died as the violent weather system passed late Wednesday through Maury County.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials identified the victims in the county southwest of Nashville as a 19-year-old woman and two 22-year-old men. Authorities say those three were found in a submerged car in a Maury County creek.
Two people also were killed Wednesday in Perry County southwest of Nashville, and one person died in Rhea County.
The latest release brings the toll in the South to 14 storm-related deaths. Dozens more were injured as tornadoes and storms raked their way from Mississippi and Arkansas into Tennessee and beyond.
According to the National Weather Service, an EF1 tornado hit Perry County and an EF3 tornade hit the Lutts community in Wayne County.
The system that packed heavy rain, high winds and several tornadoes has weakened but still threatened more severe weather Thursday from the mid-Atlantic to the Southeast and Gulf Coast.
Almost all of Wednesday's fatalities were blamed on tornadoes, making this the year's deadliest tornado outbreak. Until this outbreak, only 10 people had died in tornadoes across the nation, the fewest number on record.
Heavy rain caused flash floods Thursday in portions of Georgia, including the Atlanta area. Flood watches have also been posted for portions of North and South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. This includes Washington, D.C.
Gov. Bill Haslam viewed damage Thursday from the storms in Perry County.
TEMA was at a Level III-State of Emergency so that it could more quickly respond to needs at the scene.
Late Wednesday, the state Department of Health confirmed the fatalities in Perry County of a 70-year-old man, and a 69-year-old woman. The department also confirmed the fatality of a 22-year-old man in Rhea County. According to WRCB-TV, the man died after the vehicle he was in became caught in floodwaters.
Also, at least seven people were killed in Mississippi and one person died in Arkansas on Wednesday, with some 14 tornadoes touching down in Mississippi, according to authorities.
Wayne County, Tenn., Sheriff Rick Wilson told WSMV that several people were transported to the hospital with injuries. Wilson also said people were trapped in a storm shelter with a tree on top of it.
Multiple homes were damaged and the post office in Lutts, Tenn., was destroyed, Wilson said.
In Hickman County, the sheriff said the area near Upper Cane Creek Road was hit hard. He said that area is covered with trees that have come down and crews are having trouble getting to the area
PREVIOUS STORY: JACKSON, Miss. Authorities say at least three people including a 7-year-old boy died Wednesday afternoon when a tornado struck North Mississippi.
Earlier Wednesday, an 18-year-old woman was killed in Pope County, Ark., after a tree fell on her home during high winds,
The boy and another person were killed after the storm system moved into Holly Springs, Miss., southeast of Memphis near the Tennessee line. Several other people were thought to be missing in the Benton County, the location of Holly Springs.
In addition, Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said at least one death was reported in Marshall County. He said there are reports of other deaths, but could not confirm any more.
A ferocious storm system slammed parts of the South and Midwest on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead amid torrential downpours, damaging winds and several tornadoes.As of late afternoon, there had been 12 reports of tornadoes, according to the
Tornado watches remained in effect from southern Mississippi to central Indiana. The greatest threat for tornadoes, damaging wind — some of which could be hurricane force — and occasional hail was for areas from eastern Arkansas and northern Mississippi to extreme southern Illinois, the prediction center said.
The risk for a "few intense, long-tracked tornadoes" will continue into Wednesday night, the center said. In all, 101 million Americans were at risk for severe weather.
The center issued a "moderate" risk area — the second-highest level on a 5-tier scale — for severe storms in the mid-Mississippi River Valley, including the Memphis area.
From least to worst, the five levels are marginal, slight, enhanced, moderate and high.
Moderate risk areas are extremely rare in December, typically occurring just once every other year, according to Greg Carbin, warning coordination meteorologist for the prediction center.
The Clarion-Ledger and USA Today contributed to this report.