At least 18 people have been killed in to fierce storms and floods in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas in the United States, officials said. With more severe weather expected across the central US, forecasters are warning of airport delays and flooded roads as travellers return home after the Christmas holiday. US National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for 10 US states.
In Alabama, where Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency to deal with the heavy flooding, tornadoes uprooted trees and tore off rooftops, with one touching down in Birmingham, the state’s most populous city.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and Georgia counterpart Nathan Deal also declared states of emergency in counties affected by the weather.
In Mississippi, 10 people were confirmed dead and 60 others injured yesterday, the state emergency management agency said on Twitter. More than 400 houses have been destroyed or damaged in the state. Six fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, according to the fire department in Columbia. Arkansas and Alabama each reported one fatality.