ATLANTA—A weekend of deadly weather in the Southeast killed 15 people and injured dozens more, authorities said Sunday, while residents along the Georgia-Florida line were bracing for more intense, fast-moving storms—including unusually strong “long track” twisters.
The National Weather Service said Sunday that southern Georgia, northern Florida and the corner of southeastern Alabama could face forceful tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail. Long track tornadoes, which plow on for miles, were also a real risk.
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center warned on its website of a “dangerous outbreak of tornadoes” on Sunday afternoon and pressed for residents to prepare. Long track tornadoes, somewhat rare and capable of staying on the ground for 20 or more miles, were possible.
There are 4.8 million people under the high risk area; the total area of bad weather in the Southeast, who fall under the slight risk category or worse, is about 38 million people.
Coroner Tim Purvis said an apparent tornado “leveled” numerous homes before dawn Sunday in a mobile home park in Cook County, killing seven people. He said emergency responders were still searching for survivors hours later.
Purvis estimated the park has about 40 mobile homes, and roughly half of them were destroyed. Photographs from Cook County posted by WSB-TV showed a large area strewn with twisted metal and broken wooden beams, with some mobile homes damaged but still standing.
