Powerful tornadoes hit Alabama, USA

A wave of storms hit the southern United States, leaving a trail of broken trees and damaged buildings in their wake.

Nearly 16 million people in the southeast could see severe storms early Thursday, according to the meteorological service.

And a region of nearly 3 million people, stretching from southeast Arkansas and northeast Louisiana through the Mississippi to Alabama, was at particular risk of tornadoes. Damage has been reported in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.