Long-Lived Damaging Storms Persist

A cluster of severe thunderstorms will continue to press southeastwardtonight, rattling parts of the Deep South. The cluster originated insoutheastern Colorado Thursday afternoon, and has since produced damaging windsand hail over southwestern Kansas, northeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.The cluster will take aim on northern Mississippi and central Alabama afteremerging from Arkansas tonight. Tupelo and Birmingham are among the cities,towns and rural areas the thunderstorms will target. Damaging winds and hailwill remain the greatest threats of these thunderstorms. A tornado or twotouching down cannot be ruled out.

Severe thunderstorms will also rattle the eastern Carolinas, southernGeorgia and central and northeastern Texas early tonight. Another cluster ofdamaging thunderstorms may develop and threaten eastern Oklahoma and Arkansaslate tonight.