At least five more tornadoes cause damage across South; two injuries reported

A new round of severe weather ripped through the southern United States over the weekend, but with fewer reports of injuries after fatal tornadoes killed 23 people a week ago.

At least five tornadoes were confirmed: three in northwest Louisiana, one in central Arkansas and one in northern Mississippi. All were rated EF1 by the National Weather Service, on the weaker end of the tornado intensity scale.

But weather radar showed other possible tornado activity from eastern Texas to western Tennessee, so that number could climb as authorities assess the damage Sunday. 

The tornadoes and high winds destroyed mobile homes, crushed cars and wiped away farm buildings. Two people were reported injured in Arkansas.

Prairie County Sheriff Rick Hickman in Arkansas said several buildings were destroyed, power lines were brought down, and at least one home was damaged.

"It was more than straight-line winds. One of the shops, it had debris strewn over two miles, (another) one of them was just twisted in a big twist with metal on top of automobiles that were in there,” Hickman said.

Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee early Sunday. The National Weather Service is predicting a chance of more severe weather in the southern plains Tuesday.

In northeast Mississippi, strong winds tore away roofs and pulled down bricks from some buildings in the small community of Walnut, population about 3,000.

The National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, confirmed on Twitter that a tornado touched down in Montgomery County on Saturday afternoon.

To the north, two powerful winter storms threatened dangerous winds and heavy snow from the Northern Plains to Upper Midwest.

The National Weather service warned of hazardous driving conditions on the snow-covered roads in the target areas.

By midmorning Saturday, parts of the western Dakotas had already seen up to 9 inches of snow.

Much of central and western Minnesota, in the Twin cities, braced for up to 10 inches of snow.

eu.usatoday.com