The National Weather Service said the powerful storm had mostly left
the South by late Friday and was moving to the Northeast, where it
was forecast to cause heavy snow and sleet from southeastern
Michigan east to New York state. Parts of central New York and
southern New England may see over a foot (30 cm) of snow by Saturday
afternoon.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at least two tornadoes sparked
by the storm system ripped through the western part of his state on
Friday. The governor said on social media that at least three people
were killed in the severe weather, though he did not provide any
more details. A fourth person was killed by the storm Kentucky, a
woman who died when a tree fell on the car she was in, the Fayette
County coroner's office said.
Aside from the tornadoes, Beshear said thunderstorms in Kentucky
were generating winds of 80 miles per hour (128.75 kph), which are
"strong enough to blow tractor trailers off the road."
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said on social media that three people
were killed in the storm in her state, though she provided no
details.
In Arkansas, a man died when he was swept into a swollen river by
flood waters after driving on a flooded street, according to the
Scott County Sheriff's Department.
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves said on social media on Friday
that overnight storms producing high winds had resulted in one
person's death, though he gave no more details.
More than 1.4 million homes and businesses were without power in
states impacted by the storm, according to data from PowerOutage.us.
Violent storms are frequent in the southern United States in winter
months, as warm, moist air comes up from the Gulf of Mexico and
collides with colder air moving down from the north, meteorologists
say.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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