Severe storms with tornadoes have killed at least 2 and injured more than 2 dozen others in the South — with more destruction possible today

By Jason Hanna, CNN

(CNN) - Severe storms with tornadoes killed at least two people and injured more than two dozen others as they ravaged the South on Tuesday -- and the powerful system is poised to deliver more damaging storms and twisters in the region on Wednesday.

The southern storms are part of a larger system that also has been delivering heavy snow -- and in some places blizzard conditions -- in northern parts of the central US.

Tuesday's storms spawned tornadoes and splintered homes and businesses from Oklahoma and the Dallas/Fort Worth area to Mississippi -- including Louisiana, where a boy and his mother were killed in one town and at least 20 others were injured in another.

In northwestern Louisiana community of Keithville, a boy and his mother were found dead after a tornado destroyed their home Tuesday, the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office said. The boy's body was located Tuesday about a half-mile from the home, Sheriff Steve Prator told CNN affiliate KSLA.

The mother was found dead early Wednesday about a street over from where the house had been, and two other people in the community were injured, the sheriff's office said.

About 100 miles away, in the small Union Parish town of Farmerville, Louisiana, at least 20 people were injured when a tornado struck Tuesday night, Farmerville police Detective Cade Nolan said.

Parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park in the Farmerville area were demolished, with downed trees and other debris littering a road and fields, a CNN crew saw Wednesday.

Tiyia Stringfellow, her boyfriend and two young children were in her Farmerville apartment when Tuesday's tornado damaged it, she told CNN.

"We were in the kitchen closet. All we heard was whistling, and my boyfriend got up to look outside of the window and he (saw) the tornado. The whole house was shaking and I (saw) my roof cave in, and the house went dark," Stringfellow said, adding none of them was injured.

At least 19 tornado reports have been made since Tuesday -- including 12 on Tuesday itself: One in Oklahoma, four in Texas, five in Louisiana and two in Mississippi.

At least seven tornado reports were made on Wednesday -- all in Mississippi. That includes a storm that damaged mobile homes near the community of Shoccoe about 35 miles northeast of Jackson, according to the National Weather Service.

What to expect in the South on Wednesday:

• Severe weather -- perhaps including tornadoes and strong wind gusts -- is possible in parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast on Wednesday, especially southern Louisiana, southern and central Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle.

• A tornado watch is in effect Wednesday until 1 p.m. CT for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and far western Alabama.

• A moderate risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to flash flooding exists Wednesday for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and west-central Alabama, the Weather Prediction Center says.

Tornadoes ruin homes and businesses in the South

Since Tuesday, there have been multiple reports of not only tornadoes, but also hail and damaging winds.

In Wayne, Oklahoma, an EF2 tornado damaged homes, outbuildings and barns early Tuesday, injuring no one, officials said. Homes were flattened or had roofs torn off, and trees were snapped like twigs, video from CNN affiliate KOCO showed.

In Texas, at least seven people were injured Tuesday morning as severe storms pummeled the Dallas-Fort Worth area -- including at least five hurt around the city of Grapevine. Two tornado reports were made in Grapevine, where police said a mall and other businesses were damaged.

The other two people were injured in Texas' Wise County, northwest of Fort Worth, county officials said. One was injured when wind overturned their vehicle, and the other -- also in a vehicle -- was hurt by flying debris, officials said.

An EF2 tornado struck that county near the communities of Paradise and Decatur, damaging homes and businesses, officials said.

Severe weather also left homes in ruins Tuesday near the Texas city of Blue Ridge, roughly 45 miles northeast of downtown Dallas, video from CNN affiliate WFAA shows.

For Wednesday, an "enhanced" risk of severe weather -- a level 3 of 5 -- exists for parts of southern Louisiana, southern and central Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, the Storm Prediction Center said.

That covers New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette in Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. Threats include tornadoes and damaging winds.

Severe weather also is possible in surrounding areas, generally from the Texas-Louisiana state line to the eastern Florida Panhandle and north to central Mississippi, Alabama, and middle and southwestern Georgia, according to the prediction center.

For Thursday, a slight risk of severe weather exists for much of western and northern Florida, southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina, the prediction center says.

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