(NEW YORK) -- A tornado was spotted just outside of Tangipahoa, Louisiana, Wednesday evening, according to the National Weather Service New Orleans, which has urged residents to take shelter as the tornado moves north.
Three people were injured after a possible tornado touched down near the village of Tangipahoa, according to Tangipahoa Parish Police Chief Jimmy Travis.
On Wednesday, tornado watches were issued for several states in the South, as storms move across the region.
Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and one county in Texas are also on alert for tornadoes until 10 p.m. ET, according to meteorologists.
More tornado watches may be issued when the line of storms moves eastward into Mississippi and Tennessee.
More than eight million people are at risk for severe weather in the deep South, as storms with damaging winds, flash flooding and scattered tornadoes are expected.
Jackson, Mississippi, is in the center of this severe weather threat, with storms in the area likely coming through during the evening into the overnight hours.
Nocturnal tornadoes are 2.5 times more likely to be deadly than tornadoes during the daytime.
A large storm that’s moving across the country is bringing a range of weather hazards, from severe weather and gusty winds to heavy snow.
More than 40 million Americans in 20 states are under wind alerts, which stretch from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, with wind gusts topping 50 mph on Wednesday and Thursday.
Winter alerts are in effect from Iowa through Wisconsin, with 8 inches of snow accumulation possible from Wednesday through Thursday afternoon.