Tornadoes, Winds Kill 8 Across South, Winter Storm Petros Covers North In Snow (TWEETS)

An outbreak of tornadoes and damaging winds swept across the South the past two days, leaving eight people dead and thousands displaced and without power. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, and extensive cleanup is expected as the storms moved from Louisiana across to Florida and up the coast to Virginia, according to The Weather Channel.

Yesterday, three people perished in Louisiana, and 18 total tornadoes touched down across four states. At least 24 touched down Wednesday, causing extensive damage throughout the South. The storm system moved eastward and up the coast through Wednesday, striking the East Coast with severe thunderstorms and damaging winds.

Four people died in Virginia on Wednesday. Two unidentified men and a 2-year-old child were killed in Waverly after a tornado destroyed their mobile home, and another unidentified man was found dead in Appomattox County after going missing, CBS affiliate WDBJ-TV said.

South Carolina officials confirmed that Michael Gaines Sr., 58, of Darlington County, was killed by a falling tree that was downed by strong winds on Wednesday, reported SCNow.com. He had stopped near the road in order to clear debris when the tree fell on him. In North Carolina, strong winds and possibly tornadoes ripped through the state, causing damage to homes and even ripping the roof off an Oxford home, according to local NBC affiliate WRAL.com. Around 47,000 people still lack power, reported Duke Energy. Additionally, hail roughly the size of softballs reportedly fell in several areas across the state.

Areas in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and New York reported damage and power outages, with flash flooding and heavy rains plaguing the areas. The storm is expected to subside Thursday morning.

In the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions, snow is expected to fall throughout Thursday, as Winter Storm Petros moves across the middle of the U.S., caused by the same low pressure system that ravaged the South, according to AccuWeather. Indiana has already received more than 15 inches, and areas in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas have seen half a foot.

The most snowfall is expected in the Central Appalachians, with that region seeing up to 6 inches. The remaining areas in the Appalachians and Ohio Valley, along with the interior Northeast, should see around 3 inches, according to the Weather Channel.

The snow is expected to stop falling by early Friday morning.

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Weather, Tornadoes, North Carolina, South carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, Northeast