A new tornado watch was issued Sunday for parts of West Virginia, Ohio and PA.
Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.
The same storm system delivered raging winds to the Plains states earlier, leading to wildfires and severe dust storms that left more than a dozen people dead in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
Overall, at least 40 deaths have been recorded from the cross-country storm system.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke to President Donald Trump on the phone Saturday afternoon following Friday night’s tornados in the state, she said in a post on X.
Huckabee Sanders served as Trump's press secretary during his first term.
"He said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes," she said.
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh
Multiple tornadoes are currently on the ground in Mississippi with two "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watches currently in effect.
A large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Mendenhall, in central Mississippi, moving northeast at 45 mph. A confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located 7 miles west of Tylertown, in south-central Mississippi, moving northeast at 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
A third confirmed tornado was located near Okolona, in northeastern Mississippi, moving northeast at 40 mph
Another particularly dangerous situation tornado watch has just been issued across much Alabama, until 8 p.m. CT. This includes cities such as Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Montgomery.
This new watch is east of the existing watch across much of Mississippi and parts of eastern Louisiana until 6 p.m. CT.
The Storm Prediction Center said that numerous significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and potentially violent, are expected and cities in the high risk areas include Hattiesburg, Jackson, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.
The most dangerous tornado threat should begin Saturday during the late morning to early afternoon hours in Louisiana and Mississippi before spreading into Alabama late afternoon into the evening, followed by the western Florida panhandle and into western Georgia through late Saturday night.
There were 23 reported tornadoes overnight across four states – Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Mississippi as the severe weather outbreak continues into Saturday. Winds gusted up more than 80 mph causing damage in the Midwest from Missouri to Wisconsin.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency effective noon Saturday in preparation for severe weather moving into the state this evening and into the morning.
The severe storms are expected to be weaker on Sunday as the storms reach the East Coast from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic.
Damaging winds, large hail and brief tornadoes on Sunday afternoon will be possible for the Southeast, while heavy rain and damaging wind threat will reach the Northeast Sunday evening into the overnight.
The severe weather outbreak is all part of a major cross-country storm system that is also prompting fire danger and red flag warnings across the Plains.
At least 18 people are dead after severe weather hit parts of Missouri, Texas and Arkansas overnight, officials said.
Eleven storm-related fatalities were reported in the Missouri counties of Ozark, Butler, Wayne and Jefferson, the state highway patrol said. Three people were confirmed dead in Independence County, Arkansas, the state's emergency management division said. Four were reported dead in Texas, officials said Saturday.
At least 29 people were injured in eight Arkansas counties, state emergency officials said.
Additionally, 238,792 customers are without power across five states -- Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to Poweroutage.us.
