Powerful thunderstorms will continue to pose a danger to lives and propertytoday. The severe weather is targeting the Tennessee Valley and South afterleaving three people dead in the southern Plains. The deaths occurred when atornado ripped through Mena, Ark. Twenty-two other people sufferedinjuries.Today is beginning with a band of intense thunderstorms extending fromcentral Kentucky to northern Alabama. These thunderstorms will head eastward,weakening in the process. That will not be the end of today's severe weatherevent. More thunderstorms will fire over the western Tennessee Valley laterthis morning.

The thunderstorms will then press through the eastern Tennessee Valley latertoday. At the same time, thunderstorms will erupt over the central Gulf Coast.

The severe weather activity will shift to southern Virginia, the Carolinas andGeorgia tonight.

Damaging winds, large hail, blinding downpours and destructive tornadoesthreatened to be produced by the strongest thunderstorms.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski