On a day when millions of Americans were traveling to see their families and friends for Christmas, a line of fast-moving storms threatened residents from the Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley.
An18-year-old woman in Arkansas died Wednesday when a tree fell through her roof. Four other people in the house, including an 18-month-old, survived. The baby was hospitalized.
About 45 million people could be affected by the storms, which prompted a string of tornado warnings and watches in seven states.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado watch for the following areas: southeast Arkansas, far northeastern Louisiana, northern and western Mississippi, and western Tennessee. The watch area includes all the Memphis metropolitan area. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. ET.
The Particularly Dangerous Situation wording is used in tornado watches for rare situations when long-lived, intense tornadoes are likely. PDS watches are issued when in the opinion of the forecaster, the likelihood of significant events is boosted by very volatile atmospheric conditions.
The primary threats include several tornadoes with a few intense tornadoes likely, scattered damaging wind gusts to 75 mph, and isolated large hail, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Some storms were moving at 55 to 60 mph. One tornado had been spotted in Mississippi.