At least 3 dead as storms pummel much of the South

By SHEILA BURKE
Associated Press
Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 10:49 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 10:49 p.m.

Severe storms raking a wide swath of the South with damaging winds killed at least three people Wednesday in Tennessee, battered homes and businesses in Kentucky and knocked out power to thousands of people across the region.

Authorities also said at least a half dozen people were injured by the rapidly moving storms that dumped pingpong ball-sized hail in some areas and were accompanied by downpours, thunder and lightning.

The weather was part of a vast system that spawned tornadoes earlier in the day in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, killing nine. The system threatened to bring more damaging winds and rain to the Southeast amid warnings the region "could definitely get a tornado here and there," said Ryan Jewell, a meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma from the storms.

In Tennessee, seven homes were destroyed and about 50 damaged in Cumberland County, Jill Lewis of the county Emergency Management Agency said. Emergency crews worked after nightfall to rescue injured people trapped inside homes. A medical helicopter was seen helping some of the injured.

Doug Scarlett of the Cumberland County American Red Cross said a shelter was being set up in anticipation of some victims being left homeless.

"We have no idea what the damage is because this happened just before dark," he said.

Already, it appeared to be the most deadly weather outbreak in Tennessee since 37 people died in tornadoes last April 27-28. Tennessee is one of the U.S. states considered by experts most vulnerable to tornadoes.