Dangerous tornado and flooding situation unfolding in South

Homes have been either damaged or destroyed in several counties across Mississippi after an initial round of severe thunderstorms pummeled the state Tuesday night, Gov. Tate Reeves said in an update Wednesday morning. No deaths have been reported.

Reeves said 12 homes were damaged in Hinds County, two were damaged in Neshoba County, one was destroyed in Warren County, and Yazoo County saw eight homes damaged and one destroyed. Additionally, downed trees have resulted in multiple road closures in Hinds and Yazoo County, according to the governor.

The governor said the state is in close contact with local emergency managers and is providing support "as necessary."

Reeves warned residents that the state is expected to experience more severe weather today.

A tornado watch from the Storm Prediction Center is in effect for nearly 4.5 million people living in southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans, and portions of southern and central Mississippi, including Jackson, until 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT). 

Severe storms moving through this area have already produced wind gusts topping 60 mph and triggered multiple tornado warnings.

Additional storms moving through the region in the coming hours will likely produce "a few tornadoes ... with a couple intense tornadoes possible," the storm center said. "Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80 mph [are] likely."

More than 400 people are helping with rescues in Kirbyville, Texas, following severe flooding Wednesday morning.

“Multiple fire departments, 409 boat rescuers, county, multiple agencies are working the Kirbyville area,” the Kirbyville Volunteer Fire Department said on Facebook.

“Some of the ‘rescues’ are senseless, people stuck in cars that shouldn't have been on the road,” the fire department added.

US Highway 96, Kirbyville’s only four-lane road, is closed to normal traffic, the fire department said, both because of the danger of driving through floodwaters and to prevent the wake of passing vehicles from causing more damage to buildings.

Jasper County, Texas — which includes the flooded town of Kirbyville — declared a severe weather disaster Wednesday, County Judge Mark W. Allen announced. 

The declaration is due to "imminent threat of widespread or severe property damage, injury, or loss of life resulting from countywide conditions created by torrential rainfall, major flooding and severe thunderstorms with high speed winds, hail and tornadic activity," the statement said.

CNN’s Caroll Alvarado contributed to this post.

Severe thunderstorms are racing through the Gulf Coast Wednesday morning and triggering many severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings — and there's more to come.

More than 30 million people in the South and Tennessee Valley are at risk of severe storms Wednesday. "Numerous" severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes — a few of which may be of EF2 strength or greater — are expected, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The threat for strong tornadoes will increase through the day and into the evening, with the greatest risk from Louisiana to southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Damaging wind gusts will be widespread in storms from Louisiana to western Alabama and could exceed 80 mph.

A Level 4 of 5 severe weather threat stretches from eastern Louisiana to western Alabama and includes Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Meanwhile, there’s a level 3 of 5 severe threat from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, including New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Panama City, Florida.

A Level 2 of 5, severe weather threat stretches from Louisiana to southwestern Georgia, including Birmingham, Alabama; Tallahassee, Florida; and Columbus, Georgia.

At least 11 school districts in Louisiana are closed on Wednesday as severe weather moves into the area.

Ascension Parish Public Schools, East Baton Rouge Parish schools and the St. Helena Parish school district are among those that are closed.

Classes at Southeastern Louisiana University will be remote for Wednesday, the university announced. “This is not a closure, and all who are able to do so are expected to continue to work from home,” the school added.

Louisiana State University also said classes would be held online due to the severe weather threat.

“Due to the developing severe weather situation the LSU campus will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, April 10,” the university said in a statement on Tuesday. The university said residence halls on campus would remain open.

As severe storms move across the South on Wednesday morning, there are currently over 200,000 customers without power, according to poweroutages.us. These numbers could increase in the coming hours.

Here are the breakdowns of the states with the highest outages, as of 9:45 a.m. ET:

All state offices in Louisiana are closed on Wednesday due to the incoming severe weather threat.

The closure will include the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office, according to a post from the secretary of state’s office.

The east Texas town of Kirbyville is cut off from most drivers due to ongoing flooding after severe storms.

“All major roads coming into Kirbyville are shut down due to flooding,” the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post, adding that county Judge Mark Allen issued a disaster declaration.

“We have major flooding throughout the county at the midline with another line of storms coming,” the sheriff’s office said.

Multiple local fire departments are assisting with rescues, the sheriff’s office said, and the urban search and rescue team Texas A&M Task Force 1 also is deployed.