Storms in Southern US states kill 10, Mississippi declares emergency

Southern U.S. states began digging out on Thursday after severe storms including some 20 tornadoes killed at least 10 people, and Mississippi declared a state of emergency in areas pounded by twisters.

With about 100 million Americans expected to travel over the Christmas holiday, the National Weather Service forecast isolated severe thunderstorms from the mid-Atlantic region to the Gulf Coast and record warmth in New York. The storm system on Wednesday packed high winds and triggered more than 20 tornadoes in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Michigan, authorities said.

A large tornado tore a 100-mile (160-km) path through northern Mississippi, demolishing or heavily damaging more than 100 homes and other buildings before plowing into western Tennessee, authorities said. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency in seven counties. He said six people were killed and two were missing. "Everybody is pulling together here in Mississippi today to help respond to this disaster," Bryant said on CNN. "We are still in search-and-rescue mode."

He said shelters had been set up and the full extent of the damage would not be known until early next week. Mississippi authorities said 40 people were injured. Three people died in Tennessee and one in Arkansas, according to authorities. The weather service reported wind gusts of up to 80 mph (128 kph) in eastern Tennessee late Wednesday. Thirteen counties in Tennessee suffered severe damage, with a post office destroyed and a state highway washed out. Up to 15 homes were damaged in McNairy County, the state emergency management office said.

Emergency crews in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee were searching for several people reported missing. Scores of people were injured in the region. A rare tornado touched down in Canton, Michigan, and about 15,000 homes in the state and in Wisconsin were without electricity after high winds downed power lines. The weather service issued a gale force wind warning for Lake Michigan, where waves could reach 15 feet (4.6 meters).

Cold and snow were forecast on Christmas Day for the Northwest, including temperatures in the teens in Montana and snow likely in Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Nevada. Of the 100 million Americans traveling over the holiday, 91 million will use cars, according to the American Automobile Association.