Nearly 3 million people under tornado watch; parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas affected

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Parts of the South are under tornado advisories Wednesday, less than one week after a deadly tornado outbreak hit the region.

The National Weather Service has issued several tornado advisories for parts of eastern Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, with strong winds expected throughout the latter states, as well as parts of western Mississippi.

AccuWeather says roughly 3 million residents reside in the area under the tornado watch, and moderate risk of severe thunderstorms is likely to stretch from east Texas to Kentucky.

Reports of possible tornados come just days after at least nine people were killed in Alabama and Georgia as the Federal Emergency Management Agency said at least 35 possible tornado touchdowns were reported across the Southeast.

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Here's what to know about Wednesday's severe weather in the South:

A house is damaged by an uprooted tree on Mabry St. in Selma, Ala., Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Rescuers raced Friday to find survivors in the aftermath of a tornado-spawning storm system that barreled across parts of Georgia and Alabama.
A house is damaged by an uprooted tree on Mabry St. in Selma, Ala., Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Rescuers raced Friday to find survivors in the aftermath of a tornado-spawning storm system that barreled across parts of Georgia and Alabama.

Tornado watch

Several counties and parishes in eastern Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas are under tornado watch. Major cities include Little Rock, Arkansas, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Huntsville, Texas.

Here's which counties are under tornado watch:

Texas 

  • Angelina          

  • Cherokee          

  • Harrison

  • Houston            

  • Jasper            

  • Marion

  • Nacogdoches        

  • Newton            

  • Panola

  • Polk              

  • Rusk              

  • Sabine

  • San Augustine      

  • San Jacinto      

  • Shelby

  • Trinity            

  • Tyler            

  • Walker

Louisiana

  • Bienville

  • Bossier

  • Caddo

  • Claiborne

  • De Soto

  • Jackson

  • Lincoln

  • Natchitoches

  • Ouachita

  • Red River

  • Sabine

  • Union

  • Vernon

  • Webster

  • Winn

Arkansas

  • Arkansas

  • Bradley

  • Cleveland

  • Desha

  • Drew

  • Jefferson

  • Lincoln

  • Lonoke

  • Monroe

  • Prairie

  • White

  • Woodruff

What is the difference between tornado warning vs. tornado watch?

A tornado watch can be issued hours before a severe storm arrives and is intended to let residents know about the potential for a tornado in their area so they can prepare.

When a tornado warning is issued, a tornado has been spotted and the threat is imminent. Immediate action is needed. While a tornado warning could be issued within minutes of the arrival of a tornado, there could be only seconds or no time to react.

National weather radar

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, Palm Beach Post

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South tornado watch: Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas under advisories