The Latest on storms: Early school closings in south Alabama
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Latest on severe storms expected to move across the South (all times local):
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2:25 p.m.
Dozens of Alabama schools are closing early and calling off evening activities because of the threat of tornadoes and other severe weather.
Public schools in Alabama's coastal Mobile County were sending more than 60,000 students home early Tuesday to avoid having buses and other vehicles on the road around the time severe storms were expected in the area.
Forecasters said the threat of powerful storms was greatest in south Alabama, but schools were dismissing early as far north as central Alabama around Birmingham. State athletics officials canceled two state high school championship basketball games in the Montgomery area.
Forecasters said about half of Alabama had a moderate risk of severe weather including tornadoes.
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1:05 p.m.
The powerful storm system is expected to bring heavy rain, winds and possibly some snow to parts of Arkansas.
The National Weather Service in Little Rock says southeast Arkansas could get 3 inches or more of rain, while the Ozark and Ouachita Mountain areas could see 1 to 3 inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
A high wind watch is in effect for central and northeast Arkansas from 6 p.m. Tuesday until Wednesday afternoon.
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12:45 a.m.
National Weather Service forecasters are urging people in the central area of North Carolina to brace for possible severe weather later in the week.
Forecasters say straight-line wind gusts are possible Wednesday and could cause damage.
The weather service also says that with the system bringing severe weather expected to move across central North Carolina during school hours on Wednesday, schools and universities should take time to review their severe weather safety plans and review their tornado sheltering procedures.
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10:30 a.m.
A line of thunderstorms has moved into western Louisiana, bringing rain and fog.
As the system moves east, forecasters say an area extending from Baton Rouge through the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain is at moderate risk for a few strong thunderstorms, with the possibly of an isolated tornado, strong winds and heavy rain. All of southeast Louisiana remains under a tornado watch until 5 p.m. local time.
Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne is closing government offices in 15 parishes at noon before Tuesday's severe weather arrives.
Schools in most of those parishes are also closed for the day.
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10 a.m.
Storms in South Texas have left thousands of people without power and windows broken after hail the size of golf balls damaged some buildings.
The Kinney County Sheriff's Office says nobody was hurt in Monday night's bad weather.
Dispatcher Ana Amescua (AH'-nuh uh-MES'-kwah) says hail the size of golf balls and larger broke windows throughout Brackettville - including at the town's schools. Administrators canceled classes Tuesday in Brackettville, 30 miles east of Del Rio.
AEP Texas reported about 10,000 customers in Del Rio without electricity after a substation was damaged. Classes were canceled Tuesday at the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District due to no power.
A Houston ISD bus flipped Tuesday while driving on a rain-slick road, leaving the driver slightly hurt. No children were aboard.
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10 a.m.
A powerful storm system is expected to bring heavy rain, powerful winds and some snow to parts of Arkansas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The National Weather Service in Little Rock described the storm system as a "three-headed monster" on its Facebook page. Southeast Arkansas is expected to see 3 inches or more of rain, while the Ozark and Ouachita Mountain areas could see 1 to 3 inches of snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
A high wind watch is in effect for central and northeast Arkansas from 6 p.m. Tuesday until Wednesday afternoon. Forecasters say winds could gust as high as 40 mph to 50 mph on Tuesday night.
Forecasters say the wind watch covers the Interstate 40 and U.S. 67 corridors, which will make driving difficult.
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8:30 a.m.
Some Alabama school systems are planning to dismiss students early and cancel after-school events in anticipation of severe storms striking the state, along with other parts of the Deep South.
The Tuscaloosa County School System said in a statement that school officials decided to cancel all after-school activities Tuesday after a briefing from emergency management officials and the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
Mobile County Public Schools announced it will also cancel all after-school activities Tuesday and said officials there will decide by late Tuesday morning whether to dismiss students early.
Troy City Schools said in a statement that students would be dismissed early, at 1 p.m. Tuesday, and all after-school activities would be canceled due to the weather threat.
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7:35 a.m.
A Houston school bus has flipped onto its side along a highway while driving in rainstorms.
Houston Independent School District spokeswoman Lila (LEE'-luh) Hollin says the bus driver suffered minor injuries during the accident around dawn Tuesday along Highway 288. Hollin says no students were on board during the accident she says may be related to weather.
The school bus ended up on its side atop an embankment.
Some school districts in South Texas canceled classes Tuesday amid the storms moving across Texas and into the Deep South. The San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District in Del Rio called off school due to power outages.
School was canceled at the Brackett ISD in Bracketville, about 30 miles east of Del Rio, which reported some damage to buildings and vehicles.
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6:40 a.m.
Forecasters have issued flash flood watches in Alabama and Georgia ahead of a storm system that's expected to drop 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible in some areas.
The warnings, which cover large parts of both states, are expected to be in effect through Wednesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service says new rain on already saturated soil could cause roads to flood, as well as low-lying areas and small streams.
The weather service projects that some of the heaviest rain will fall in metro Atlanta and in parts of the north Georgia mountains, where up to 3 inches is expected.
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6:15 a.m.
A line of thunderstorms moving across Texas was expected to bring severe weather to the Deep South on Tuesday.
The storms caused some wind damage in south Texas, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
The weather service estimates that more than 7 million people in parts of five states - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia - are in an area of moderate risk for a few strong tornadoes and other severe weather Tuesday.
As the storms move into southeast Louisiana on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters say the severe weather will occur from the Baton Rouge area east across the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain.
Schools across south Louisiana and Mississippi canceled classes ahead of the storm.
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5:55 a.m.
Schools across Louisiana are cancelling classes ahead of a severe storm that's expected to move across the Deep South.
The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1QcTHUX ) reports that West Baton Rouge Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Zachary, Central, East/West Feliciana, St. Helena, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Livingston, Ascension, Tangipahoa, St. James and Baker public schools and Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic schools have canceled classes Tuesday.
LSU and Southern University also announced classes will be canceled starting Tuesday at noon.
In the greater New Orleans area St. Tammany and Washington parishes are closed.
The forecast calls for an increased risk for severe weather across most of Louisiana with some areas in Washington, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes facing a greater risk.