Severe weather shifts towards the Southeast as flash flooding warnings rise

After days of persistent severe storms and flooding rainfall in parts of the mid-South and mid-Mississippi Valley, the threat shifted east on Sunday into portions of the Southeast.Since last Wednesday, the severe weather and flash flooding have been blamed for at least 19 deaths across six states, with 10 of those reported in Tennessee alone.On Sunday, officials with the Columbus Police Department in Georgia said a father and son were killed when a tree fell on them at the Bull Creek Golf Course in Muscogee County.Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) officials confirmed one fatality occurred during the severe weather that struck the state between Saturday and Sunday.That person was killed in Jasper County, according to MEMA.After hitting the same areas for four straight days from Wednesday through Saturday, the severe thunderstorms and heavy rain shifted east on Sunday, threatening cities such as Atlanta and Mobile in Alabama.Sunday’s severe storm threat was much lower than in recent days, but strong to severe thunderstorms brought the risk of wind damage and a couple of tornadoes across parts of the Southeast.

Marginally severe wind gusts were also possible farther north into portions of the Carolinas and southern Virginia.In Alabama, Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan urged people to stay home overnight, as heavy rain and flooding made many roads in the area impassable.“We have massive flooding all around the city, and therefore we don’t know the integrity of the roads until it’s daylight in the morning,” McMillan said in a Facebook post.“Please stay home.”Spanish Fort Fire Rescue echoed McMillan’s plea, telling residents that the impact of flooding wouldn’t be fully known until the daylight hours on Monday.

“Many roads are flooded, and all others have standing water,” officials said.“Get home and stay home as road integrity won’t be fully known until water recedes and evaluations can be done...