Two dead as tornadoes, storms hammer US South

HOUSTON: Intense storms spawning dozens of tornadoes tore through large swathes of the US South leaving at least two people dead, knocking out power to thousands and damaging several homes, authorities said on Wednesday.

The severe weather systems that included fierce winds, heavy rain and hail threatened millions of Americans across eight states from Texas to Georgia beginning on Tuesday, with tornado warnings forcing residents to seek shelter.

In Alabama, two people died before dawn on Wednesday when “severe weather, most likely a tornado,” hit North Montgomery County, an official there quoted the county sheriff´s office as saying.