Dejaun Lane’s family watched from their windows as a tornado churned right by his home in Tylertown, Mississippi, Saturday afternoon.

His house only has a few broken windows and other minor damage, but the family’s other belongings on the property were severely damaged, he said.

Lane’s mother, Tracy Lane, told CNN that her RV trailer is “split in half.”

“We had three sheds in the back. They’re all split up and everything is everywhere. Trees are cut in half. We had a tiny house and all the wood is splintered up and in the woods,” Tracy Lane said.

She said she’s never seen anything like this.

“I’m just thankful to be alive,” she said.

The Storm Prediction Center reduced the severe weather threat in the Southeast to a Level 4 of 5 for the remainder of the evening and overnight hours. This is a reduction from the highest level — which is rarely issued — but a significant threat of severe storms and tornadoes continues this evening, especially across Alabama and eventually into Georgia.

“Widespread severe convection, including the risk for strong tornadoes continues this evening,” the SPC said in its update. “Severe threat will spread across Alabama and into Georgia/Florida Panhandle later tonight.”

The thinking behind the decreased risk is likely that the expert forecasters at SPC no longer see the conditions necessary for violent, long-track tornadoes that a 5-of-5 risk indicates. Destructive tornadoes did occur earlier Saturday in southern Mississippi. The National Weather Service will survey that damage and report strength on Sunday and Monday.

Tornado watches currently stretch from central and eastern Tennessee to the Florida Panhandle, covering more than 8 million people.

When an apparent tornado struck Taylorsville, Mississippi, one resident stepped outside without a shirt or shoes on to film it.

In the footage, the apparent tornado can be seen swirling in the background, accompanied by flashing lights as it moves through the area.

“After it was over, I realized I was almost too close,” Max Loper told CNN Saturday.

After the storm passed, Loper drove around town to assess the damage left in the storm’s wake. The tornado left downed power lines, uprooted trees, damaged buildings and scattered debris throughout the area, video shows.

In one part of the video, Loper puts down his camera to talk to a neighbor to ask her if she is all right.

“We are without power, but we are all good,” the woman said.

At least 31 people are dead in a powerful, multi-threat storm that’s hit much of the Midwest and Southeast since Friday. Saturday has seen the most tornado warnings issued nationwide since April of last year.

Torrential rain and severe thunderstorms are lighting up the radar as the system tracks east. Eastern Alabama, eastern Tennessee and Georgia will be at risk of severe storms, which could include tornadoes, flash flooding and damaging wind, through the early morning hours Sunday.

“Numerous significant tornadoes” are expected Saturday into Sunday morning across the Deep South, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The severe risk of the tornado outbreaks is expected to reach western parts of the Florida panhandle and parts of Georgia Saturday evening.

Here’s the latest from some of the states impacted by the storms:

• Missouri: The state has seen at least 12 deaths as multiple tornadoes ripped through the area overnight Friday into Saturday. Images show damage across the state, with roofs ripped off of homes and multiple businesses destroyed in central Missouri.
• Kansas: At least eight people died in a 50-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon caused by a severe dust storm. Dry, dusty, fire-favoring conditions will continue there through at least Monday. Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday preemptively issued a state of disaster emergency due to increased fire weather conditions through the weekend.
• Arkansas: At least three people died and 32 others were injured after the storm system hit the state overnight, the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said. A tornado survey team found damage consistent with EF3 strength in Cave City, Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been in contact with local officials impacted by tornadoes in the area, a spokesman said.
• Mississippi: Four storm-related deaths were reported across Walthall and Covington counties. Walthall County emergency management director Royce McKee said he’s trying to get those who have lost their homes, help, food and clothes if necessary.
• Texas: Much like Kansas, residents saw severe dust storms and reduced visibility on Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.
• Oklahoma: In Oklahoma, one person died amid reduced visibility in Garfield County, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Gov. Kevin Stitt said the fatality was “from an accident in a vehicle driving in the smoke of some kind.” The governor declared a state of emergency in 12 counties due to “dangerous wildfires and straight-line winds.”

A new tornado watch is in effect until 4 a.m. ET for central and southern Alabama, western Georgia and the western Florida Panhandle, including Birmingham, Mobile, Atlanta and Pensacola.

While this watch is not a “particularly dangerous situation” like the earlier watches over Mississippi and Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center is still warning of “several tornadoes and a couple of intense tornadoes,” as severe thunderstorms continue to move east this evening and into the overnight hours.

Forecasters at the Birmingham office of the National Weather Service told their media partners they were working with the Storm Prediction Center to get the next tornado watch out quickly, so they could prepare to take shelter themselves.

A rotating thunderstorm approaching Calera, Alabama — where the office is located — has an observed tornado.

If the Birmingham office needs to walk away from their computers to shelter, forecasters in Peachtree City, Georgia, will take over for them.

The death toll from the sweeping storm system climbed to at least 31 across six states Saturday night as more fatalities were reported in Mississippi and Oklahoma.

One person died in Oklahoma amid reduced visibility in Garfield County, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Gov. Kevin Stitt said Saturday at a news conference the fatality was “from an accident in a vehicle driving in the smoke of some kind.”

In Mississippi, at least four people died after severe thunderstorms and tornadoes hit the South on Saturday, authorities said.

Three storm-related deaths occurred in Walthall County, according to emergency management director Royce McKee. Another person died in southwest Covington County, a news release from the emergency management office said. Several injuries were also reported in both counties.

Covington County, Mississippi, was “greatly damaged” when two tornadoes touched down there, according to county emergency officials. The tornadoes downed trees and power lines, damaged “multiple” structures and injured several people.

The first tornado touched down in the town of Hot Coffee. Shortly after, the second tornado touched in the town of Seminary, resulting in one death and one major injury.

The National Weather Service will be going out to survey the damage and will make the final call on what happened.

Debris removal operations are underway and damage assessments will begin soon, officials said.

The number of deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

• Missouri: 12
• Kansas: 8
• Arkansas: 3
• Mississippi: 4
• Texas: 3
• Oklahoma: 1

At least three people died in Mississippi after severe storms, including possible tornadoes, hit the state.

The storm-related deaths occurred in Walthall County, said emergency management director Royce McKee. “We have a bunch of houses destroyed, a bunch of damage and three fatalities,” he told CNN. “Several” residents have also been injured and officials are working to find out exactly how many were hurt.

Emergency management officials are also trying to get a total count of houses that have been damaged or destroyed, McKee said. People who were trapped due to the storm have been rescued, but authorities will soon be undertaking a search and rescue effort “to make sure that nobody’s left behind,” he said. They’ll also “take care of everybody,” ensuring that people who have lost their homes have shelter and necessities.

“We’re a real community,” he said. “What we’re trying to do now is just get them to safety.”

“We’ll be trying to get them housing, fed and assist them with clothing or anything they need,” McKee said. “Some people have lost everything.”

The deaths in Mississippi raise the death toll from the sweeping storm system to at least 29. The number of deaths confirmed in each state are as follows:

• Missouri: 12
• Kansas: 8
• Arkansas: 3
• Mississippi: 3
• Texas: 3

At least eight people died after a severe dust storm in Kansas led to a multi-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon, according to a release from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

A weather front with “high winds moved into northwest Kansas from Colorado, causing a severe dust storm,” leaving almost zero visibility for those traveling on I-70, authorities say.

“The preliminary investigation indicates over 50 vehicles were involved in the crash, with eight confirmed fatalities,” the release said. “Numerous injured travelers were transported to medical care facilities throughout the region.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said her thoughts are with those who were affected by the crash.

“I encourage all motorists to remain vigilant as the potential for further weather events continue today,” Kelly said in a news release. “Thank you to the first responders and emergency personnel who responded quickly and continue work to investigate and clear this crash.”

The deaths in Kansas raise the overall storm death toll to 26, with 12 fatalities in Missouri, three in Texas and three in Arkansas.

A busy night of severe weather over the Midwest and Mississippi River Valley has extended into an even busier day of tornado-producing storms on Saturday.

Today has already seen the most tornado warnings issued nationwide since April of last year. At least 127 separate tornado warnings have been issued so far on Saturday, passing yesterday’s total of 94 which was the most of the year until today.

The most active part of the day is forecast to come over the next several hours as the storm system reaches the highest risk area in Alabama.

Four tornado watches are in effect in the southeast on Saturday evening, including two “potentially dangerous situation” watches, which indicate the threat of significant tornadoes.

Around 10 million people in parts of six states are under tornado watches. Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest-populated city under a watch.

The most recent watch was issued for eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia, in effect until 1 a.m. ET. Forecasters say they expect a few tornadoes, but perhaps the bigger threat will be the strong straight-line winds. Gusts up to 75 mph are likely in this region.

Photos from Grenada, Mississippi, show significant destruction, including several buildings destroyed, uprooted trees, a flipped vehicle and multiple cars trapped beneath rubble after severe weather struck the area on Friday.

A video shared with CNN shows downed power lines, debris scattered across yards, metal wrapped around poles and torn-off roofs.

Jeff Johnson, the District 3 Supervisor for Grenada County, expressed his heartbreak to CNN upon witnessing the destruction.

“So many lives have changed in an instant,” Johnson said. “It’s difficult to process this level of devastation. I feel helpless seeing so much loss. Nature’s power is terrifying.”

Johnson mentioned that he and others were in the city of Grenada, which is part of District 1, to assist the community in the aftermath of the storm.

More than 236,000 homes and businesses in the central and southern US are experiencing power outages, according to PowerOutage.us, as the sweeping storm system downs power lines and damages buildings.

Here’s the breakdown of power outages reported as of 6 p.m. ET Saturday:

• Missouri has over 92,700 power outages
• Michigan has over 70,200 power outages
• Mississippi has at least 25,400 power outages
• Texas recorded over 27,000 power outages
• Illinois has over 20,700 power outages

Friday night’s severe storm destroyed multiple businesses at a small shopping center in central Missouri, videos and photos show.

Doors, walls and equipment inside a family-owned nail salon in the city of Rolla, Missouri, were ripped apart and the building was heavily damaged.

A GoFundMe has since been organized by Christina Do, the owner’s daughter. It has a fundraising goal of $30,000, which will help secure a new location, replace lost equipment and supplies and help employees return to work.

“This salon was more than just a business; it was a home, a safe space, and a place where our community came together for the last (three) generations,” Do wrote.

“We built something special here, a family beyond just clients and services. Now, with everything gone, we are left to pick up the pieces,” she said.

As Southern Mississippi faces an onslaught of tornadic storms, one large family is spending their Saturday in a “safe room” made of cinder blocks.

The family lives in Taylorsville, a small town in Smith County, which was under three separate tornado warnings in mere hours Saturday.

Stacy Bryant Hawkins, 59, said she could feel “suction” when a likely tornado hit Taylorsville Saturday afternoon.

“Just the wind blowing. It gets really still when one comes close by but then all of a sudden the rain came with a force. We watched (the likely tornado) go over my back pasture,” Hawkins says. “It was more of a roaring sound.”

Their house did not have any damage but Hawkins is concerned about what will happen throughout the rest of the day.

She is most fearful of her family members getting hurt, especially her 84-year-old mother, who did not want to leave her Taylorsville home.

“I am very scared of bad weather. We’ve been in our home 23 years and that’s why I insisted on a safe room being built,” she tells CNN.

Her family has spent the last few hours in and out of their “safe room” on the first floor of their home. Because Smith County gets a lot of tornadoes, the family decided to create the storm room in their home, Hawkins explained.

Multiple family members have taken shelter at her home, including her daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, a two-year-old and four dogs.

Her brother-in-law wasn’t as lucky. His Taylorsville home just took a direct hit, Hawkins told CNN.

“They have a tree in their master bedroom,” she said. “I know a lot of friends are over there helping them, and my husband and son, but I don’t know what they’ll do.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday his state was mostly spared by the dangerous storm system after it was facing “one of the most concerning weather forecasts that I’ve seen as governor.”

“And that’s saying something given what we’ve been through,” Beshear told CNN, adding Kentucky is still recovering from last month’s flooding and deadly storms.

“We were primarily spared, most of it missed us. But really thinking about those families further south from us, we know what it’s like to lose far too many of our people to tornadoes or flooding, and so certainly the Commonwealth stands ready to help in whatever way we can.”

Andy Beshear

When asked whether Beshear, a Democrat, feels he can count on the federal government for assistance with future storm damage, the governor said: “We have FEMA on the ground right now and while I disagree and disagree strenuously with President Trump’s statements on the future of FEMA, it’s been going well. I do have to compliment their administration in turning around the disaster declaration.”

But Beshear emphasized: “That’s the way that FEMA needs to operate into the future. The idea is that we fix it, we don’t break it.”

The Trump administration’s developing plan for deep staff cuts and drastic changes at the Federal Emergency Management Agency has raised alarm among some state officials and even Republican lawmakers, who worry that it will weaken responses to future disasters.

Beshear called the agency a “critical arm of the federal government that’s there for our families when they need it the most, when they’ve been absolutely devastated.”

At least 12 people have died following storms in Missouri, according to an afternoon update from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The totals for each county are as follows:

• Three fatalities in Ozark County
• One fatality in Butler County
• Six fatalities in Wayne County
• One fatality in Jefferson County
• One fatality in St. Louis County

The storm’s death toll now stands at at least 18, with three fatalities reported in Arkansas and three in Texas.

Southern Mississippi is facing an onslaught of tornadic storms as wave after wave of spinning thunderstorms are producing numerous tornadoes that are impacting the same locations multiple times.

Taylorsville, a small town in southern Mississippi’s Smith County, is currently under its third separate tornado warning in as many hours. Both of the previous warnings resulted in damage from likely tornadoes, though they will need to be reviewed and confirmed by the National Weather Service.

Previous tornado warnings indicated that separate tornadoes would hit Taylorsville at 1:55 p.m. CT and 2:40 p.m. CT.

Now, a third tornado warning is covering the town, and “a large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Improve, or 12 miles northeast of Columbia, moving northeast at 60 mph,” according to the NWS in Jackson.

This tornado is likely to pass just south of Taylorsville, near the town of Soso, around 3:30 pm.

Smith County has faced at least five separate tornado warnings over the past 3 hours, and a tornado watch covers the area until at least 6 p.m. local time.

Authorities are working to assess damage and clear debris as severe weather sweeps through Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

In the town of Kentwood, about 30 homes were damaged, a public information officer for the parish told CNN.

Downed trees and power lines have also been observed. No injuries have been reported at this time, but one person had to be rescued from their damaged home.

A response team of more than 20 people is working to survey damage, clear roads of debris and help residents get to a safe location as the storm continues.

A tornado survey team in Cave City, Arkansas, has found damage “consistent with winds of 165 mph,” the National Weather Service in Little Rock said Saturday. “This is the very top of the EF3 scale.”

Tornadoes of EF3 strength produce severe damage, uprooting nearly all trees in their path, blowing over large vehicles like trains and buses and significantly damaging buildings. Fewer than 5% of all tornadoes are rated EF3 or higher.

At least three people died and 32 were injured due to severe weather in Arkansas overnight, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management. Injuries were reported in eight counties and damage has been reported in 16 counties.

The deaths were reported in Independence County, in the northern part of the state, but emergency management officials did not share further details. Cave City is located in both Independence and Sharp counties.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Saturday “in response to the extensive damage and power outages,” the emergency management division said. It will remain in effect until March 29.