Severe storms have left at least 13 people dead across Missouri and Arkansas as forecasters warned that intense, long-lasting storms at a level typically experienced only once or twice in a lifetime could sweep across a vast swath of the South on Saturday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 10 fatalities in the state, with six in Wayne County, two in Ozark County, one in Butler County and one in Jefferson County.

In Arkansas, three people were killed in Independence County, and 29 others were injured across the state, according to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management. The state experienced extensive storm damage, the agency said.

The National Weather Service on Saturday issued the highest risk alert for tornadoes in some parts of the South.

The most dangerous threat of tornadoes would most likely be across Louisiana and Mississippi from late morning into early afternoon on Saturday. From the afternoon into the evening, the storms are expected to sweep across Alabama and maybe into Tennessee before crossing into Georgia and northern Florida overnight.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, Saturday is likely to be the third time in history that the center has issued a high-risk warning on the second day of a storm.

Locations of tornado sightings or damage reported by trained spotters.

Source: National Weather Service | Notes: Reports are considered preliminary. Data is for the 24 hours starting March 14 at 8 a.m. Eastern, during which updates are being made every 10 minutes.

By Julie Walton Shaver

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