In Natchez, Mississippi, a high school student tragically died when a tree fell on a home, according to Adams County emergency officials. Another fatality occurred in northern Brazoria County, Texas, where a tornado struck four locations, Sheriff Bo Stallman reported.
As crews in the South assess the destruction, more storms threaten cities from northern Florida to the Carolinas, with forecasts warning of strong winds, large hail, and potential tornadoes on Sunday.
“Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected to impact much of the eastern U.S. through Sunday,” the National Weather Service warned.
Tornado watches are in effect Sunday morning across parts of Southeast Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee, according to the agency.
Tornadoes swept across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas on Saturday, with millions under threat from severe storms.
Dramatic storm chaser footage captured a powerful, long-track tornado tearing through McCall Creek, Mississippi, while drone video from Porter, Texas, revealed homes with roofs torn off, splintered structures, and fallen trees.
By Sunday morning, over 182,000 residents across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee were without power, according to PowerOutage.us. Mississippi was hardest hit, with nearly 85,000 outages reported as of 2 a.m. ET.
Severe weather even caused a partial power outage at Mississippi’s Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, leading to delays and cancellations before power was restored.
The storm system is now targeting the Southeast, East Coast, and parts of the mid-Atlantic, threatening cities like Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.
‘It went from bad to worse’
“Run,” Anna Peterson urged her husband as the backdoor of their Brazoria County home burst open.
The couple, clutching their puppies, huddled in a closet as the storm raged, Peterson told CNN affiliate KHOU.
“Two or three minutes later, it was over. We opened the front door, and everything was gone,” she recalled.
The fifth-wheel trailer securely parked on their property had been blown into the neighbor’s yard, completely destroyed.
A tornado struck several locations in Brazoria County, causing significant devastation in a short time, Sheriff Stallman reported.
“The damage has been extremely devastating,” Stallman said.
Brazoria County officials are assisting teachers and students from Walt Disney Elementary School after the storm inflicted heavy damage, Manvel Mayor Dan Davis confirmed.
Davis shared a photo on Facebook showing severe ceiling damage and debris strewn across the school’s floors.
“Recovery efforts have begun, and I’m grateful to live in a county where people truly care for one another,” Davis wrote. “In the coming days, properties will be cleared, power restored, and lives rebuilt. Please continue to pray for everyone affected!”
Residents of Montgomery County, about 80 miles north of Brazoria County, are also grappling with the aftermath of a likely tornado.
Bill Hustus told KHOU that the strong winds devastated his community, toppling trees onto his house and destroying a neighbor’s home.
“There was a two-story house across the street—it’s no longer there,” he said.
Tornadoes are rare in December, with an average of just 40 compared to nearly 270 in May. However, this year has seen an alarming 1,783 tornado reports as of December 27, far exceeding the average of 1,347.
Tornadoes tear through homes
Omar Godoy, a Katy resident, was ironically watching the tornado thriller “Twister” with his nephew when they received an alert about a real tornado, CNN affiliate KHOU reported.
Curious, Godoy stepped outside and saw the funnel cloud heading straight for them.
“You see debris swirling and the funnel coming down,” he said. “It’s scary, but it’s nature.”
Godoy and his nephew quickly took shelter in a closet, feeling the house shake during the three terrifying minutes the storm raged.
When they emerged, the tornado had damaged their fence, roof, and other homes in the neighborhood.
“It was just three minutes, but it was a scary three minutes,” Godoy said, noting it’s the third tornado to hit their area this year.
Katt Lomison feels lucky to be alive after a tornado tore through her subdivision in Porter, Texas, on Saturday. She was in her backyard when she saw a news alert about a potential tornado nearby.
“I got my hallway ready, went outside, and felt the wind circle with the rain. I thought, ‘Oh crap,’” Lomison recalled.
After the storm, she found her shed flattened and trees down across the neighborhood. One house on her street was completely destroyed, and another had its roof ripped off. “It just kept going, causing so much destruction,” she said, noting downed electrical poles on Porter Lane.
Drone footage revealed severe storm damage in Porter, showing homes with roofs torn apart and structural devastation.
In Brazoria County, where one death was confirmed, Mayor Daniel Davis reported a tornado had destroyed multiple homes, schools, and businesses near Liverpool. Many residents remain without power, leaving them without water as well, since many rely on wells and septic systems.
Sheriff Bo Stallman described the tornado’s impact as “quick and devastating,” hitting four locations within a small area. “These are hard to plan for because they develop so fast,” Stallman said, adding that the short warning time made it difficult for people to seek shelter.
The severe weather threat continues from eastern Texas to western Georgia, affecting cities like Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Birmingham. The Storm Prediction Center warns of possible tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail.
The threat will shift eastward, with storms intensifying as daytime heat and humidity fuel supercells capable of producing strong tornadoes. By late evening, these storms are expected to form into a severe line capable of widespread wind damage and embedded tornadoes.