States Hit Hard by Storms, Tornadoes Begin to Clean Up

The southern states that were hit hard by severe storms and tornadoes have begun to clean up the mess that has been left behind.

According to the authorities, thunderstorms and more than 20 tornadoes caused by the high winds hit several states on Wednesday, leaving at least 10 dead. A total of five states, which included Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, were affected. There were six fatalities in Mississippi, three in Tennessee and one in Arkansas.

In Mississippi, a tornado ripped through a 100-mile long path and caused damage to six counties before it entered western Tennessee. The National Weather Service was still investigating the strength of the tornado on Thursday via two survey teams.

"To have long-track tornadoes in December in the Memphis forecast area is an unusual event," Jonathan Howell, a meteorologist in the Weather Service's Memphis office, explained reported by the New York Times. "We typically don't have tornadoes of that intensity that impact the area, but we're dealing with this unusually warm weather pattern and all of the ingredients came together to support that."

The governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, has since declared a state of emergency for seven counties. Bryant added that state officials are working on getting "resources to the most heavily affected areas."

"We're still in response mode," Brett Carr, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said. "We're still supporting the local governments with search and rescue for those who are missing. We want to make sure everyone is accounted for, and life safety is the No. 1 priority right now."

In Tennessee, the weather caused damages to 13 counties. Emergency responders and teams in these two states and Alabama are currently searching for missing people.

In Michigan and Wisconsin, the storms with winds up to 50 miles per hour cut off electricity to roughly 15,000 homes and business.

Tornado watches were still in effect on Thursday. Severe storms are also still forecasted for certain counties.

Aside from actual damages, the weather will also put a damper on people's traveling plans, if it has not already.

More than 100 million Americans are expected to travel during the holiday season.