'Particularly Dangerous' Tornado Watches issued as South faces threat of multiple violent twisters

'Particularly Dangerous Situation' Tornado Watch issued for Mississippi

A life-threatening tornado outbreak is likely across the Deep South Saturday, with multiple long-track violent tornadoes likely, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A dangerous tornado outbreak featuring the potential for "multiple violent" tornadoes threatens much of the Deep South Saturday, as the second day of deadly severe weather continues across the eastern U.S.

The storm has already killed at least 14 people in Missouri and Arkansas, according to officials, with dozens more injured. Other tornado damage was reported in parts of Indiana and Mississippi.  The governors of Alabama and Georgia have declared preemptive states of emergency. 

MULTIPLE DEATHS IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS AFTER MONSTER TORNADOES CAUGHT ON VIDEO AMID SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK

The National Weather Service has already received a report of tornado damage to homes near Grace, Mississippi late Saturday morning with power lines down and an ambulance on the way to the scene to check for possible injuries. 

The Storm Prediction Center issued Particularly Dangerous Tornado Watches for a large swath of Mississippi and a sliver of eastern Louisiana through 6 p.m. CT, and for much of Alabama until 8 p.m. CT, highlighting the extreme danger of life-threatening storms and damage to property. 

Additional watches may be warranted later in the day as the storms move east.

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The SPC says there is a greater than 95% chance of at least two tornadoes in the watch area and a similar greater than 95% chance of 1 or more tornadoes of at least EF-2 strength. But beyond that, the SPC warns conditions are ripe for tornadoes to reach "violent" strengths, rating EF-4 or higher on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

"Multiple, destructive EF3-EF4+ tornadoes are likely," SPC said.

The region had already been placed in a dire and rare Level 5 risk on its five-point severe weather risk scale for portions of Alabama and Mississippi, including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Jackson and Hattiesburg. It means a high likelihood of supercell thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and damaging winds. 

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"A tornado outbreak is expected across the central Gulf Coast States and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley," forecasters at the SPC wrote. "Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected this afternoon and evening."

But the dangerous severe weather threat expands well beyond those two states. New Orleans resides in a level 4 risk, while Nashville, Atlanta and Tallahassee, Florida remain in a level 3 threat. Multiple other Tornado Watches cover the threatened areas with more expected as the storms progress east through the day.

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All told, about 72 million people in the eastern third of the U.S. – from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast – face the threat of severe weather Saturday.

"This will be a very scary situation for many," said meteorologists with NWS Birmingham. "The atmosphere is so strong there isn't a whole lot that will weaken it."

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The storms are intensifying along the Mississippi River and will quickly move east from midday to the afternoon, according to the FOX Forecast Center. The line of supercells is then expected to swing through central and southern Mississippi into northern Alabama, central and east Tennessee and north Georgia.

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"This storm has it all," Bill Bunting, operations branch chief for NOAA and the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, told FOX Weather Friday. "The moisture is plentiful, and our concern is that all of these ingredients – wind shear, moisture, and lift – will combine to produce a highly explosive and potentially deadly storm… extending into Saturday as the system moves south and east."

In addition to tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail are likely with any severe storms that develop. 

Storms threaten I-95 corridor Sunday

The end of the multiday severe weather outbreak will happen Sunday when nearly 70 million people from the Northeast to Florida face a risk of severe weather. 

The worst of the storms is expected from Virginia to Florida.

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