At least nine people died late Friday and Saturday as powerful storms swept across the southern United States ahead of a dangerous cold front.
According to KSLA, three people were killed and at least one other was injured as the storm tore across northwest Louisiana. Two other people were killed overnight in Texas, KTRE reported.
Here are the latest updates:
Update 6:28 a.m. EST Jan. 12: An Oklahoma man drowned Saturday when he was swept away from his stalled truck by floodwaters caused by storms that pounded the South.
According to The Associated Press, Randall Hyatt, 58, of Wardville, was in his Chevrolet pickup near Kiowa when he drove into deep floodwaters. He was swept away after he exited the stalled vehicle, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Update 2:27 p.m. EST Jan. 11: The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, confirmed three people were killed in Pickens County after a series of tornadoes hit the area, WSFA reported. The National Weather Service said the fatalities occurred near Carrollton, the television station reported.
Update 12:29 p.m. EST Jan. 11: According to PowerOutage.us, nearly 202,338 homes in five Southern states were without power as of 12:07 p.m. EST. States affected were Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. In Mississippi, 60,512 homes were without power.
Update 12:06 p.m. EST Jan. 11: A Texas man died early Saturday after a tree fell on a home during storms in Nacogdoches County, KTRE reported.
Larry Hadnot, Jr., 44, was inside the residence when a tree was blown over onto the house, trapping him, the television station reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another person inside the home escaped with minor injuries, KTRE reported.
In Dallas, a person died Friday night when a vehicle flipped into a creek because of severe weather conditions, WFAA reported.
Meanwhile, as residents in Alabama braced for severe weather, tipoff for Saturday’s college basketball game between Auburn University and the University of Georgia was moved up to 11 a.m. CST, WSFA reported. The game originally was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time in Auburn, the television station reported.
Game time was changed “in consideration of the safety of students, student-athletes and fans,” Auburn said in a statement.
Update 10:25 a.m. EST Jan. 11: Cleanup effort have begun in the northern Mississippi in the wake of the strong storms hitting the southern United States, WHBQ reported.
The Olive Branch and Sardis areas were hit the hardest, the television station reported. Trees were snapped and mobile homes were leveled in the Bethel Grove area of Olive Branch, WHBQ reported.
One man was trapped in a trailer and injured his hip because the tree landed on the trailer, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department told the television station. Emergency crews had to cut trees to reach him.
Update 9:35 a.m. EST Jan. 11: The New Orleans area was bracing for severe weather Saturday morning, with strong winds, hail and heavy rain, NOLA.com reported.
A line of rain and storms moving rapidly through Louisiana could produce wind gusts in excess of 50 mph, WDSU reported.
Original report: Lt. Bill Davis with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed two people died in the Haughton area. Meanwhile, an elderly man died just after 1 a.m. when a tree fell on his Caddo Parrish home, the station reported.