The National Weather Service issued tornado and flash-flood warnings for counties across Georgia on Wednesday afternoon as a system of storms barreled through the Southeastern United States.
The storms were expected to leave nearly 60 million people at risk of tornadoes, damaging winds, thunderstorms and flooding, according to a CNN forecast.
The severe weather threatened residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and is expected to move into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency issued a tornado watch, which means that conditions are favorable for severe weather, for a broad area stretching from Alabama up into Indiana.
A tornado emergency was issued for Webster and Sumter Counties in Georgia earlier Wednesday. In Sumter county, a tornado up to a mile and a half wide was spotted, county emergency management director Nigel Poole told CNN.
“We are still taking cover and actively watching the storm,” Poole said. “There have been reports of damage, but we have not been able to access them yet.”
Molly Chrisman, a student at the University of South Carolina, posted video of her Uber driver out in flooded streets in Columbia.
Strong winds and baseball-size hail were expected in parts of Alabama, where Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency ahead of the weather event.
Jake Reed, a meteorologist for CNN affiliate WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Alabama, issued a stark warning on Facebook, saying it was “far and away the biggest threat Alabama has seen in quite some time.”
In Georgia, there was a chance for isolated tornadoes and hail, National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Sena told CNN.
Metro Atlanta was hit by a deluge of rain. Flash-flood warnings were issued for several counties surrounding Atlanta and Athens to the east. A flash-flood watch was issued for area across northern Georgia.
At the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, the Par 3 Contest was canceled due to the inclement weather.
In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The ground stop was lifted in the afternoon, but delays are expected as the storm hits the area.
