Severe Weather Kills Two, Spawns at Least 31 Tornadoes; Storms Move Into Mid-Atlantic Wednesday | The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel

A multi-day severe weather outbreak has killed two people. Here's the latest on areas that have been hit so far.

BySean BreslinOctober 16, 2014




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After 48 hours and more than two dozen tornadoes spawned, the third day of a fall tornado outbreak began Wednesday morning as the storm system pushed into the mid-Atlantic.

Two people have been killed in the outbreak. A 33-year-old Marine and father of three was killed when a tornado struck his Arkansas home and a 75-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Alabama.

Thousands were still without power across multiple states Wednesday.

(MORE: Track This Severe Weather Outbreak)

Here's a state-by-state rundown of this severe weather outbreak's effects.

Arkansas

At least five tornadoes have been confirmed in Arkansas.

One person is dead and at least four others were sent to a nearby hospital in Little River County when a tornado swept through the county in southwestern Arkansas early Monday morning. The National Weather Service surveyed the damage and found it to be consistent with an EF2 tornado Monday afternoon.


Eddie Withem, 33, was killed when a tornado tore through his home in Ashdown, Arkansas.


The tornado was in progress at about 5 a.m. local time Monday morning, damaging at least two homes and destroying one, according to the Little River County Sheriff's Office. Eddie Withem, a father of three, was killed after he and his wife, Roxanne, were blown out of their home in Ashdown. Roxanne remains in critical condition after surgery; The couple's three children sustained minor injures and have since been released from the hospital.

Arkansas Office of Emergency Management spokesman Rick Fahr told The Weather Channel at least two house fires in northwestern Arkansas were believed to be started by lightning Monday morning as the storms rolled through.

"These fires are in the extreme northwest parts of the state, at least 150 miles from where the possible tornado was," said Fahr.

The town of Osceola reported damage from a possible tornado later Monday afternoon, though there were no immediate reports of injuries. Two city buildings were destroyed, according to the National Weather Service.

Alabama

Storms caused widespread damage in Central Alabama, spawning at least three tornadoes and killing one person Tuesday evening.

Shirley Hicks, 75, was killed when a tree fell on her home in Dora on Monday, according to MyFoxAL.com. She was in her living room when a tree fell on the mobile home. Her husband was also in the home and sustained minor injures.

An EF0 tornado carved a 6-mile path near Shottsville on Monday night. An EF1 tornado touched down in downtown Tuscumbia.

Trees and power lines were down and buildings were also damaged in Huntsville, Haleyville, Cullman and Shottsville, according to the National Weather Service.



The University of Alabama in Hunstville and Northeast Alabama Community College canceled evening classes on Monday night. Several North Alabama schools started late Tuesday morning to account for the cleanup, AL.com reported.

More than 33,000 people were without power statewide early Tuesday morning.

So far, one tornado has been confirmed by the NWS – an EF0 that hit the town of Shottsville. It was in progress for nine minutes Monday afternoon and had maximum winds of 85 mph, according to the damage report.

Illinois

At least seven tornadoes touched down in Illinois. An EF2 carved a 10-mile path through Mowequa, leveling homes.



An EF1 tornado near Long Creek had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. An EF0 in Argenta caused only minor damage. An EF1 near New Baden had maximum sustained winds of 95 mph and another EF1 in Freeburg had sustained winds of 110 mph.

Another EF0 tornado near Ruma was on the ground for less than half a mile.

Assistant Fire Chief J.P. Penet told the News-Democrat firefighters responded Monday to damage to homes and uprooted trees. There were no reports of injuries.

In northeastern Illinois, weather conditions caused 30-minute delays and flight cancelations at Chicago's airports Monday.

Tennessee

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado near Clarksville on Monday night. Tuesday morning, local reports said the NWS had confirmed it was a tornado that caused the damage.



Law enforcement officials in Dyersburg reported a possible tornado with a path a quarter mile long and 200 feet wide. Trees and power lines were down in Sardis, and hail the size of a half dollar fell in Milledgeville, according the National Weather Service.

A reported tornado was also spotted near Parsons in Perry County, and EMS officials also reported a tornado in Ramer.

A tree fell on a home in Waverly, causing major damage, and four houses were damaged in Clay County, WSMV reports. Damage was also reported in Perry, Lawrence, Hickman and Humphreys Counties.

Florida

Three homes and two barns were damaged by storms Monday night near Cantonment, Florida. At least three possible tornadoes were spotted on radar – one in Hays Place, one in Sumatra and another in Apalachicola.

Winds gusted as high as 63 mph as the line of storms moved through the Panhandle early Tuesday morning, according to local storm reports.

Kentucky

A funnel cloud was spotted north of Dawson Springs on Monday night, according to the National Weather service.

Storms in Paducah and Wickliffe brought down trees and power lines and damaged at least one home, according to the National Weather Service.



Louisiana

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency for the state after strong storms produced at least two tornadoes.

An EF2 tornado carved a nine-mile path through Monroe on Monday night. According to social media posts, some businesses lost roofs, while several homes and automobiles were damaged by falling trees. The hardest-hit areas were the Garden District and Louisville Avenue. Several streets in the area are blocked, the News Star reports.



A gas leak forced the evacuation of West Monroe High School, according to the News Star. Several highways were closed because of downed trees and power lines.

University of Louisiana at Monroe spokeswoman Kiwana Sutton says several downed trees prompted officials to cancel all classes on Monday. The campus will reopen Tuesday morning.

A concrete plant in Monroe was also damaged.

Monday morning's severe weather was the second wave of nasty storms to hit Louisiana; Sunday evening, there were multiple reports of downed trees after a round of storms moved through northern portions of the state.

Georgia

Severe thunderstorms led to several reports of damage in metro Atlanta Tuesday morning. At least one EF1 tornado was confirmed in Alpharetta on Tuesday morning by the National Weather Service. Trees and power lines were brought down as the squall line moved through. An EF0 tornado also touched down in East Point on Tuesday morning.

A total of six tornadoes have been confirmed in the state.

No injuries have been reported from the storms that hit Georgia Tuesday morning. A tornado warning was issued for the University of Georgia campus Tuesday morning, which led the university to alert all students to take shelter, according to the Augusta Chronicle. There was no reported tornado and the warning expired shortly after, the report added.

Nearly all customers who lost power during the storms had it restored by Wednesday morning.

Missouri

At least six tornadoes were tore through the state on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials with the National Weather Service in Springfield confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down Monday morning in Lawrence County. The tornado was in progress just before 7 a.m. local time, had maximum wind speeds of 75 mph and stayed on the ground for less than one minute, the NWS confirmed through a damage survey.

Later Monday afternoon, a second tornado was confirmed near Lampe. The NWS rated it EF1 with maximum winds of 80 mph. That tornado damaged several outbuildings and left minor damage at several homes.

Another tornado was confirmed Tuesday afternoon, an EF0 near Ash Grove with maximum winds of 70 mph. EF1 tornadoes were also confirmed in Sturdivant, Zalma and Marble Hill.

South Carolina

Two separate tornado watches were issued for parts of South Carolina Tuesday, but there were no reported tornadoes anywhere in the state as the storm system moved through. Several reports of tree damage were sent in to local NWS offices on Tuesday, but there were no injuries reported from any of the storms that hit South Carolina.

North Carolina

Several funnel clouds were reported as severe weather rolled through the state Tuesday, but no tornadoes have been confirmed yet. Still, there were many trees brought down by the strong winds, and heavy rainfall brought numerous reports of flooding as creeks rose.

Rain is expected to continue through Wednesday morning, creating a messy commute for drivers across portions of central and eastern North Carolina, according to WRAL.com.

Virginia

Heavy rain and some severe weather is expected Wednesday across Virginia. Several trees and power lines were felled overnight and into Wednesday morning, according to NWS Blacksburg.

An isolated tornado could occur Wednesday, but the heavy rain could benefit farming areas that have been abnormally dry for months, according to the Times-Dispatch.


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