Tornadoes and severe storms across southern US leave at least seven dead

At least seven people were killed in a storm system that raged across the southern US on Wednesday, as the east coast experienced record high temperatures and persistent rain. The National Weather Service said on Thursday morning that there was a diminished risk of severe storms as search and rescue efforts were underway in regions that endured the most significant storm and tornado damage. At least three people were killed in Mississippi and in Tennessee, officials said. Mississippi governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency on Thursday. “Mississippians are resilient in difficult times, and we will meet this challenge head on for those that are in need,” Bryant said in a statement. Michaela Remus, 18, died in Arkansas after a tree crashed into her bedroom, according to the Pope County sheriff’s office. Remus’s one-year-old sister was sleeping in the bedroom with her but rescuers were able to pull her from the home. The stories you need to read, in one handy email Read more “It’s terrible that this happened, especially at Christmas,” said Pope county sheriff Shane Jones. Thousands of people lost power from Mississippi to Michigan during the storms. Though the risk for severe storms diminished in the south, forecasters warned of a lingering chance of flash flooding, heavy rains and winds. Officials said a seven-year-old boy died in Holly Springs, Mississippi when a tornado swept through the city and tossed the car he was in. Two people were also killed and two others were missing in nearby Benton County. In Tennessee, a 22-year-old man died in Rhea County and a 70-year-old man and 69-year-old woman died in Perry County. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn said that the agency had recorded more than 40 injuries, including amputations, before dawn on Thursday. Source : http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/24/tornadoes-storms-the-south-holiday-travel-deaths