Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The Southeast was pounded with severe weather throughout the day Sunday, spawning tornadoes and causing devastation throughout Georgia and Mississippi, with authorities predicting Florida would take a beating later Sunday night.
At least 18 people were killed and more injured from severe storms in central and south Georgia and Mississippi on Sunday. Officials in Florida raised tornado watches Sunday night and warned residents of the potential for hurricane-force winds overnight as the storm system passed over the state.
The third round of severe weather in as many days was expected to hit farther south than what has been felt in Mississippi and Georgia, as well as Alabama, with predictions for the Sunday night storm expected to affect people throughout Florida and as far north as Atlanta.
In Georgia, 14 have been killed and at least 23 others injured during the storms. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency Sunday for seven south Georgia counties: Atkinson, Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Lowndes and Thomas. The declaration will remain in effect for the next seven days, the governor said.
"These storms have devastated communities and homes in South Central Georgia, and the state is making all resources available to the impacted areas," Deal said in a statement.
Catherine Howden, spokeswoman for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, told USA Today that it was not immediately clear whether tornadoes had touched down in the region.
Seven of the deaths were confirmed in Cook County, when an apparent tornado hit a mobile home park near Adel. About half of the 40 mobile homes in the park were destroyed in the storm, Coroner Tim Purvis said.
Two more people died in neighboring Brooks County, when a mobile home was tossed about 100 yards into the middle of a highway by a tornado, authorities said.
In Mississippi, four deaths were reported and nearly 60 were injured as storms and at least one tornado, reported as an EF-3 strength, struck parts of Lamar, Forrest and Perry counties Saturday. As a result of the storm, nearly 500 homes were damaged and 7,600 residents were left without power once the storms passed.
The National Weather Service forecast a possible "major severe weather outbreak" across north Florida and south Georgia into Sunday night.
