The area was battered by storms beginning in the late evening, with a tornado watch in effect in the Red Bank area at one point and a tornado watch also menacing nearby sections of North Georgia. A later tornado warning covered the area between Dunlap and Sale Creek.

Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.

Violent tornadoes and high winds decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.

Local authorities said dozens have been killed and tornado risk continue on March 16 across the central United States after a massive storm system.

Tornadoes killed at least 33 people across several states in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast on Saturday night, CNN reported. Missouri reported 12 fatalities spanning five counties, the state's highway patrol posted on X.

The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County on Friday. At least 50 vehicles were involved.

Numerous significant tornadoes were expected Saturday afternoon and evening, with the highest risk across several states in the Deep South, forecasters say.