Tornado outbreak live updates: 36 dead in cross-country storm system

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed reporters Saturday, saying the devastation in Arkansas could take weeks and months to recover from.

Three people have died in the storm so far, she said.

The governor encouraged residents to document impacts to their homes and said officials were working to get power running again in the affected areas.

She said it may take weeks and months to recover. The biggest challenges will be clearing the debris and getting food and water to people in need.

-Victoria Arancio

The Storm Prediction Center continues to warn that numerous significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and potentially violent, are expected in the coming hours. Cities like Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi, and Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama, remain in the rare, high risk.

A level 4 "moderate risk" is in place from northeastern Louisiana to southern Tennessee, including cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana, and Montgomery, Alabama, up to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Widespread damaging wind gusts and several tornadoes are possible in this area with the threat lasting into the nighttime hours in some locations.

Strong, damaging wind gusts could also impact cities like Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee, where a level 3 "enhanced risk" been issued.

Destructive wind gusts up to 80 mph could produce widespread damage and trigger many power outages.

Tornado damage consistent with winds of 165 mph have been recorded in Cave City, Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service's tornado survey team.

"This is the very top of the EF3 scale," the NWS of Little Rock said in a post on X.

Additional surveys will continue over the coming days, the NWS said.

A line of severe thunderstorms continues to sweep across parts of the South and has already triggered multiple confirmed tornadoes in Mississippi, with damage over the past few hours.

There have been over 30 reported tornadoes across 6 states -- Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois and Indiana -- in the last 24 hours.

A "particularly dangerous situation tornado watch" remains in effect across much of Mississippi and parts of eastern Louisiana until 6 p.m. CT. Another is in effect across much Alabama, until 8 p.m. CT, including cities such as Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Montgomery.

A line of severe storms is sweeping east across the region bringing the threat of strong tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail. Any stronger, slow-moving storms bringing torrential rain could also trigger areas of dangerous flash flooding in the coming hours.

The most dangerous tornado threat is now through the evening hours. The strong storms will continue to sweep across eastern Alabama and into Georgia Saturday night.

-ABC News' Daniel Peck