A tornado was confirmed in Alabama at the same location hit eight days ago.
A major storm is falling in Alabama and Mississippi, as well as in parts of Tennessee and Georgia, where “violent” and “long-haul” tornadoes are possible until Thursday night.
“Violent” means that tornado winds can reach 166 mph or more, with ratings of EF-4 or EF-5. These tornadoes are often “long lasting”, which means that they can remain on the ground for at least 40 kilometers.
The biggest risk is in eastern Mississippi and northern Alabama.
A tornado was confirmed at 12:30 pm local time near Moundville, Alabama, outside of Tuscaloosa – the same location hit by a tornado eight days ago.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for 46 counties and announced that the health department had rescheduled its Alabama National Guard vaccination clinic in Hale County due to the storm.
In Mississippi, more than two dozen people took shelter at an elementary school in Lowndes County before bad weather. Two other schools, each with a capacity of 400 people, are also open as shelters, Lowndes County’s director of emergency management told ABC News.
All shelters are providing hand sanitizer and masks, reinforcing social distance and checking people’s temperature.
Several rounds of intense storms are also expected in the afternoon and evening across eastern Mississippi, northern Alabama and much of Tennessee, from Nashville to Knoxville.
Harmful winds are expected, especially in Tennessee and Kentucky. Wind gusts can reach 80 mph, and very large hail is possible.
Around midnight, damaging gusts will move through Atlanta and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio Valley.
Storms can also bring heavy rains, so people should be aware of possible flooding.
Elwyn Lopez of ABC News contributed to this report.