According to National Weather Service forecasters, over 8 million people will be at an increased risk from harsh weather as storms make their way through the American South, the Independent reports.
Mississippi and Alabama face the greatest risk of tornadoes and large hail that will also touch parts of Tennessee and southern Kentucky, the NWS said in a warning issued Thursday morning.
The warning comes after severe storms hit Arkansas and Oklahoma, prompting flash flood emergencies and causing tornadoes.
An American Airlines flight en route from Dallas, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee, made an emergency landing in Little Rock due to the severe stormy conditions. One flight attendant was reportedly injured.
Multiple tornadoes tore through northeastern Oklahoma, injuring at least seven people in Tulsa, according to tweets issued by the Emergency Medical Service Association. A spokesperson for the Tulsa Fire Department told local news outlet News 9 that the most of the damage sustained from the tornadoes occurred in a primarily residential area, destroying one home and some businesses.
The tornadoes moved through adjacent towns Oswasso and Claremore.
Meteorologists from the NWS expect the storm system to move east through Thursday afternoon