State of emergency declared in Georgia after tornadoes hit South

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) issued a state of emergency on Sunday after a string of severe storms and tornados pummeled the South over the weekend, leaving at least 26 people dead across Mississippi and Alabama.

A storm system swept into Georgia Sunday morning and produced “thunderstorms, high-velocity straight-line winds and multiple tornadoes,” according to Kemp’s declaration. It added that winds caused damage to homes and businesses and has the “potential” to cause more damage in the coming days.

“As we continue to monitor the weather and work with local partners to address damage throughout the day, I ask all Georgians to join us in praying for those impacted,” Kemp said in a statement.

The Atlanta National Weather service issued a series of severe thunderstorm, tornado and flash flooding warnings Sunday, according to the organization’s Twitter. Severe thunderstorm warnings are active for parts of Georgia into Sunday evening, according to the Atlanta National Weather Service.

One tornado was seen on radars in LaGrange, Georgia, south of Atlanta, NBC News reported, citing National Weather Service Atlanta forecaster Nikole Listemaa.

President Biden declared an emergency in Mississippi on Sunday to aid recovery and clean-up efforts in the state after tornadoes on Friday night left 25 people dead and dozens injured. The emergency will allow Mississippi to access federal funds for temporary housing and home repairs.