Severe storms could affect 7 million people in Deep South

As the storms move into southeast Louisiana on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters say the severe weather will occur from the Baton Rouge area east across the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain.

Forecasters say straight-line wind gusts on Wednesday may be particularly strong, reaching 70 miles per hour or greater, and associated damage with the wind gusts may be tornado-like in intensity.

Meanwhile, schools across south Louisiana and MS canceled classes ahead of the storm, sending tens of thousands of students home early to avoid having buses on the road when severe storms arrived.

If you live in or are traveling through the South, be prepared for storms that could produce tornadoes and have a plan to find safety.

Warnings mean severe weather is happening and you need to go to a safe place.

Officials said reports of power outages began Tuesday afternoon with a strong line of storms passing through the area.

Six tornadoes have rolled over Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service, while MS and Alabama have also been rocked by one a piece.

On Tuesday afternoon, parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia were under flood and flash flood watches.

The rest of the week looks much drier but winds will remain brisk through the day Wednesday and the wind advisory could be extended. The National Weather Service has said that El Niño creates favorable conditions for winter tornadoes in Florida.

The main difference is that more of the Apalachicola River region, including a chunk of Southwest Georgia and the western Big Bend, are now included in the Moderate Risk severe weather category.

Reported tornadoes and severe weather caused damage in other parts of both states. Almost all Baton Rouge-area schools were closed Tuesday, according to WBRZ.com.

We’re continuing to monitor a significant threat for severe weather that will impact our state within the next 24 hours.

The ongoing El Niño may be an factor in the onslaught of severe weather across the Sunshine State. Here’s a look at how other areas are preparing for this severe weather event. Then all of a sudden all kinds of wind and rain started. Severe storms and tornadoes will then target parts of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states on Wednesday.

Tuscaloosa city and county schools canceled after-school activities in anticipation of the storm’s arrival.