Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather system moves east

Bystanders hug as first responders work to free a victim after a tree fell on a house in Natchez, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Thomas Graning/The Natchez Democrat via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — At least two people have died and six more are injured after several tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi, damaging homes and flipping vehicles. The National Weather Service says the severe storm system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia at 4 a.m. Sunday. The agency has issued severe thunder storm warnings with possible tornadoes in western Georgia and northwestern Florida. Saturday’s tornadoes touched down north and south of Houston. Authorities say one person has died south of Houston and four people have suffered non-critical injuries. In Mississippi, a person has died in Adams country and two have been hurt in Franklin County. Nearly 81,000 utility customers were without power in Mississippi early Sunday.

HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi.

The National Weather Service’s severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4 a.m. The agency issued severe thunder storm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia, the northwestern tip of Florida and elsewhere.

On Saturday, one person died in the Liverpool area, located south of Houston, Texas. Four people suffered injuries that were not considered critical, according to Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.

There were “multiple touchdown points” in the county between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village and Alvin. Officials knew of around 10 damaged homes but were working to determine the extent of the damage, Polston said.

In Mississippi, one person died in Adams County and two people were injured in Franklin County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings.

It appeared at least six tornadoes touched down in the Houston area, though more may be discovered when crews go out to survey the damage. There was damage in the area from both tornadoes and straight-line winds, according to Josh Lichter, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

North of Houston, mobile homes were damaged or destroyed in Katy and Porter Heights, where the doors of a fire station were blown in, the weather service said.

Storm damage has been reported in the northern Alabama town of Athens, just northwest of Huntsville. A National Weather Service survey team was expected to begin assessing damage Sunday morning, said meteorologist Chelly Amin.

Also Sunday, the National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings across portions of the Deep South as the line of storms barreled east through Alabama, Georgia and into South Carolina. Wind gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) were expected in the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area. Damage to trees and powerlines was expected in a number of counties, while a tornada watch was in effect for some parts of the state.

At 9 a.m. Sunday ET, nearly 65,000 customers were without power in Mississippi, down from 93,000 around 1 a.m., according to electric utility tracking website PowerOutage.us. Some 54,000 customers were without power in Georgia; 36,000, Alabama; 20,000, Louisiana; and 13,000, Texas.