The southern states of the United States were engulfed in stormy weather, accompanied by devastating winds, rains and tornadoes. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency on Thursday, The Weather Channel reported.
Heavy rains have caused flooding in several states. Buildings were damaged, trees were felled. Dozens of roads are closed or washed out. In Tazwell County, Virginia, more than 500 people have been evacuated due to flooding.
The Virginia Governor has urged local residents to keep up with forecasts and be prepared to comply with local evacuation orders when needed.
Several other southern states were also hit hard by floods, including Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee. A flood emergency was declared in Pickens County, South Carolina, where people had to be rescued from swampy houses and buildings.
Strong winds wreaked havoc in parts of Florida Thursday afternoon, ahead of the storm system. In Pascoe County, a woman was injured when a tree fell on her mobile home, emergency officials said.
In the Greenville, South Carolina area, about 30 people were rescued trapped inside a facility due to flooding Thursday night.
Bell County and Harlan County in southeastern Kentucky have also declared flooding states of emergency. Harlan's authorities noted that the rains caused the worst flooding since 1991.
The storm killed at least five people. A woman was killed when a tree fell on a car in York County, South Carolina. In Sevier County, Tennessee, a tree falling on a vehicle killed a 36-year-old teacher and injured four others.
South of Demopolis, Alabama, one person died on the spot and another was injured when two mobile homes were destroyed by a tornado.
At least two people were killed and several more injured in bad weather accidents in North Carolina and Tennessee.
According to poweroutage.us, the storm left more than 300,000 consumers without electricity.
