At least one person was killed Monday as powerful tornadoes tore through the U.S., knocking out power and damaging homes in multiple states. About 50 million Americans in the central and southeast U.S. are in the path of severe weather that so far has spawned nearly two dozen tornadoes.
The victim, a man from Douglasville, Georgia, was killed when a falling tree brought power lines down on his vehicle, according to the state’s emergency management office.
On Monday afternoon, tornadoes were reported from Kentucky to South Carolina, and even as far as southwest of Atlanta. Thirty homes in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, were damaged by a tornado on Monday morning, according to CBS affiliate WKRN.
CBS New York’s chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn said the damage is far from over, with severe storms expected in Texas overnight. The storms are then projected to move east, impacting areas from Louisiana to Mississippi on Tuesday before potentially reaching the Atlanta area again.
The violent storms also caused extensive damage on Sunday. In Mississippi, the weather tore apart roofs and knocked down trees and power lines, making some neighborhoods inaccessible. The full extent of the storms’ damage is not yet clear, but photos and stories from local residents show a severe toll.
“The damage has kind of made navigating the neighborhood a maze and I couldn’t even get to the street that I live on after everything had taken place,” said resident Shawn Lee.
In Tupelo, Terille Pulliam’s roof was partially torn off when a tornado ripped by. He said he was huddled in a bathroom with 12 people when the storm hit.
“I’m blessed that nobody got hurt or anything like that…” he said. “It could’ve been worse…it could’ve been worse.”
Pulliam told CBS News that his home is currently unlivable, and that he plans to stay in a hotel for the night. But he said he’s grateful only his home was damaged, and that he and his loved ones are safe.
