Parts of U.S. South Under Tornado Watch as Severe Thunderstorms Hit Florida

Severe thunderstorms, powerful winds and apparent tornadoes ripped across the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday, downing power lines and trees and damaging buildings, as storms swept through Georgia, Alabama and other Southern states.

Gusty winds left fences damaged and roadways impassable, according to the authorities in Panama City, Fla., where the storm moved through on Tuesday. In some areas, it brought hail about the size of baseballs. In Clayton County, Ga., south of Atlanta, one person was killed when a tree fell across a car’s windshield, the authorities said.

There were at least 10 reports of tornadoes across the South by Tuesday afternoon, according to the Storm Prediction Center at the National Weather Service, though those remained unconfirmed until emergency officials and the service could survey the damage.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida issued a state of emergency for 49 counties to “ensure that there are no unmet needs following the severe weather” affecting the state. He urged residents to heed the warnings of local officials.

The line of severe storms was expected to move across the Southeast on Tuesday, the Weather Service said, adding that it could cause more “widespread destructive wind gusts,” with speeds of 75 miles per hour. Power outages were affecting some areas, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday.

Tornado warnings were in place for portions of Florida, Alabama and Georgia, and meteorologists warned people to take cover indoors away from windows and brace for flying debris.

By early afternoon, a tornado threat had moved through North Florida and into south-central Georgia, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said.

“There are many reports of trees down so be extremely careful on the roads,” it said. It has not confirmed a tornado in Tallahassee.

“It’s going to take a while to clear the whole Southeast U.S.,” said Felecia Bowser, the head meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.

The Weather Service was investigating reports of structural damage, she said.

In Bay County, Fla., the sheriff’s office urged residents to stay off the roads while emergency personnel rushed to damaged houses to investigate whether people were trapped. The authorities were working to survey storm-hit areas, including an apartment complex that was “extensively damaged.” Power lines dangled low by Highway 2301. Roads were obstructed with downed trees, debris and water, the office said.

Schools in Bay County, which includes Panama City, were closed on Tuesday, the school district said, adding that it was still surveying damage to structures.

Forecasters warned that a line of severe thunderstorms was moving through southern Alabama on Tuesday morning.

In Georgia, emergency management officials had warned residents to prepare for storms, saying those in Southwest Georgia faced the highest risk of tornadoes, possibly beginning even before sunrise.

By noon on Tuesday, more than 73,000 customers, mostly in central and southwestern counties, were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks electric service.

In Georgia, 27 of the state’s 159 counties closed schools because of the severe weather, according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. It said it was too early for an assessment of any damage to infrastructure.

“The weather system is affecting much of the state, with the most severe impacts thus far occurring in the Southwestern part of Georgia,” the agency said.

The severe weather is part of a weather system affecting much of the eastern third of the U.S. on Tuesday, with heavy rainfall expected from the Florida Panhandle to Southern Maine.

Elsewhere, a powerful cold front in the Pacific Northwest was expected to bring heavy snow, while sections of the Northwest braced for blizzard conditions.

Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.