Severe weather updates: two people are dead after tornado outbreak hits the South

(NEW YORK) — Two people have died in central Alabama after a tornado struck Montgomery County overnight, officials said. At least 29 tornadoes have touched down in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

Montgomery Fire Rescue saved one person and extricated two bodies from the Alabama home. Another person has been hospitalized, officials said.

The deadly tornado struck Montgomery County just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Montgomery County officials said first responders saved the lives of many others.

There have been 30 reported tornadoes across Louisiana Mississippi, and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service. An EF1 with winds up to 110mph was confirmed in Montgomery County.

Tornadoes were also reported near Bakers and Steens, Mississippi. In Vernon, Mississippi, hail the size of a quarter and Ping-Pong ball was reported. There were also reports of structural damage across several locations in Mississippi.

Texas and Kentucky got hail the size of golf balls.

Images from the affected areas show entire homes reduced to rubble by the tornadoes.

As the storm system moves east, more severe weather is possible for Florida’s Panhandle, southern Alabama and Georgia. The tornado threat will be low on Wednesday; the biggest threat is damaging winds.

High wind alerts have been issued for most of the Northeast from Virginia to Maine, where winds could gust 40 to 60 mph. Behind this storm system, colder air will produce lake-effect snow from just south of Buffalo to Watertown, New York, where locally 7 to 15 inches of snow is possible.

Strong thunderstorms are possible from the Florida Panhandle to the Carolinas. In addition, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

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