Severe weather lingers in Southeast as cold blast moves East

There were 71 reported tornadoes in 9 states from Texas to North Carolina in the last 48 hours.

A preliminary report from Jackson, Mississippi indicates that the strongest tornado that hit yesterday was an EF-4 with winds up to 170 mph from Bassfield to Pachuta, Mississippi, and this tornado was on the ground for at least 63 miles.

In the Northeast, however, the highest wind gust was in Ocean County, New Jersey, at 82 mph. There was lots of damage reported with trees and power lines downed with damage to homes also reported.

Winds gusted to 80 mph in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, and 76 mph in Long Island, New York. JFK Airport in New York City even gusted to 53 mph.

At least 33 people died from this severe weather outbreak.

This morning, there are still more than a half a million people without power in 16 states from the Gulf Coast to New England.

Now, as the storm system clears the Northeast, the cold front will linger in the Southeast bringing severe weather to Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida, and to southern Georgia. This is where damaging winds and large hail will be the biggest threat.

Behind this deadly storm system, it feels like winter for millions of people from the Rockies to the Midwest and the South. Numerous states from the Plains to the South are under Freeze Alerts as temperatures dip well below freezing.

Take a look at the current wind chills this morning.

Some of that cold air will move into the Northeast over the next few days with overnight lows dropping in to the 30s even for New York City, Philadelphia and Boston.