March 3 (UPI) -- More than a million customers were without power Friday across five states as a winter storm that caused heavy snowfall in California moved east across the nation.
Multiple deaths were reported in Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky.
The adverse weather began midweek, and hundreds of thousands of customers in Texas were without power late Thursday as the storm system generated strong winds and heavy rains in the Lone Star state before moving eastward Friday.
The National Weather Service issued numerous tornado warnings for regions of North Texas Thursday, and shortly before 10 p.m., its Storm Prediction Center issued a severe weather threat for tornados for eastern Texas, the region of the state that stretches from Dallas' exurbs to Houston along the border with Louisiana. Central and southern Arkansas, as well as northern Louisiana, were also subject of severe weather and tornado watches.
"Locally damaging wind gusts, and a couple of tornadoes, remain possible as a line of storms continues advancing eastward across eastern Texas," the NWS said in a statement.
The system was described by the National Weather Services as a line of storms that was moving through North and Central Texas.
"Several potential tornado spin-ups going in Central Texas," it said Thursday evening. "If you are under a Tornado Warning, seek shelter now!"
"Utility providers are in the early stages of evaluating damage from sustained winds north of 80mph with reports of developing tornados," Plesa said.
Texas state Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Collin County tweeted that sirens were also heard late Thursday in Plano and Allen, large suburban cities north of Dallas.
Additionally, the NWS warned of potential further tornadoes Friday and that "severe thunderstorms may bring damaging winds and tornadoes over the Southeast U.S. and heavy rain may produce flooding in the Ohio valley."
Tornado warnings were in effect across most of Kentucky Friday afternoon.
"New tornado watch covering most of Kentucky. The thunderstorms are producing 80 mph winds - treat them like tornadoes. 18,000 are currently without power," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear tweeted Friday.
The New York Times reported five people died as a result of the storms.
A falling tree killed a 70-year-old man in Alabama on Friday, according to a local coroner. Additionally, a man was killed when he was swept into a river while driving.
Videos posted online captured sirens sounding in Dallas and Fort Worth earlier in the day, with the National Weather Services saying a tornado touched down at about 5:30 p.m. Friday in Shreveport.
Oncor Electric reported nearly 200,000 people were without power late Thursday, a drop from a height of 295,000 customers, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, the chief elected official for the county. Oncor, the largest electric utility in Texas, has faced scrutiny for its repeated widespread power outages for decades.
In the west, where the storm system had its origins, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in 13 storm-battered counties in California Wednesday.
Yosemite National Park, in California, remains closed after heavy snowfall prompted the Parks Service to shut down access to the public on February 25.
"Yosemite has experienced significant snowfall in all areas of the park, with snow up to 15 feet deep in some areas and the park's closure on Feb. 25. Park crew are working to restore critical services so visitors can safely return. There is no estimated date for reopening," the Yosemite National Parks Service tweeted Tuesday.
