At Least 12 Dead In South Georgia Storms; Tornado Warnings Continue

The governor of Georgia has declared a state of emergency in seven counties that have suffered deaths, injuries and severe damage from weekend storms. 

Gov. Nathan Deal’s office said Sunday the emergency declaration covers seven counties in south-central Georgia near the Florida state line.

CBS News correspondent David Begnaud reports at least 12 people have been confirmed dead following the bout of severe weather. 

Deal said in a statement that state agencies are “making all resources available” to affected counties and “our thoughts and prayers are with Georgians suffering from the storm’s impact.” 

Cook County Coroner Tim Purvis said an apparent tornado “leveled” numerous mobile homes before dawn Sunday in the park near Adel, leading to at least seven deaths. He said emergency responders were still searching for survivors hours later. 

Purvis estimated the park has about 40 mobile homes total and roughly half of them were destroyed. 

Winter storms sweep across the country

The National Weather Service said Sunday that southern Georgia, northern Florida and the corner of southeastern Alabama could face “intense and long track” tornadoes, scattered damaging winds and large hail. 

The weather service said that a “severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak is expected today across north Florida and south Georgia, with the significant severe threat also expected to extend southward into central Florida and northeastward into South Carolina this evening.” 

Four people were killed in a tornado in Mississippi on Saturday.