Three killed in powerful U.S. storms

Bernest Thomason walks through the rubble of his sister's dress shop in Evergreen, Alabama, on Monday

RED LEVEL, Alabama (CNN) -- Severe thunderstorms with gusts up to 100 mph tore across the southeastern United States on Monday, killing at least three people and downing power lines from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

Tornado warnings and watches were posted for much of the day in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The storms drenched already rain-soaked areas of the South, where rivers, streams and bayous were already at above normal levels, causing flooding in low-lying areas.

"We're trying to let our people know not to drive through flood areas. The roads just may not be there," said Terry Thompson, a spokesman for Louisiana Emergency Preparedness.

One of the hardest-hit areas Monday was Red Level, Alabama, a town of about 500 residents in the southern part of the state. Two people were killed when their mobile home was shredded by strong winds.

"These people were in a mobile home and it was completely destroyed," said Lee Helms, director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

Helms said tornado warnings were posted in the area at the time, but the National Weather Service had not confirmed a tornado touched down. "The damage makes it look that way," Helms said.

A park ranger in Claude D. Kelley State Park in nearby Escambia County suffered non-life threatening injuries when a tree struck his car, Helms added.

Gary Beeler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said "straight-line winds" accompanying the storms had gusts exceeding 100 mph. He said five people in the small Alabama town of McIntosh, also in the southern part of the state, were injured when their homes were damaged.

"The winds either tore them up or turned them over," Beeler said.

One person was killed in southern Mississippi when a tree hit his truck in Walthall County. About 50 homes were damaged in neighboring Marion County.

Trees and power lines were toppled in much of the region, especially around Hattiesburg, a town of 42,000 that is home to the University of Southern Mississippi, said Amy Bissell, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

"We're just encouraging people to be alert," she said.

In Louisiana, downed trees and power lines were reported across the central portion of the state, said emergency spokesman Thompson. He said the state has been battling floods in recent weeks and "this extra rain isn't helping."

"In the past three weeks, we've been receiving tons and tons of rain," he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said parts of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama have received 16 to 40 inches of rain since October -- totals averaging 1.5 to 4 times normal precipitation for the region.

Storm damage also was reported in Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, with golf-ball-size hail pelting some areas and winds ripping off roofs of some buildings.

"The [storm] line is still packing a good punch," said Ben Nelson, a meteorologist with the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

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Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness
Alabama Emergency Management Agency
National Weather Service

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