The outbreak of severe weather was the second to hit the South in less than a week.
Gov. Robert Bentley on Tuesday declared a statewide State of Emergency in anticipation of severe weather moving through Alabama on Wednesday.
Threats from the storm include 60 miles per hour wind gust and quarter-size hail, according to the weather service.
"These storms have the possibility of producing golf ball to billiard ball size hail, damaging winds in excess of 60 miles per hour and tornados".
All modes of severe weather are possible today including tornadoes, large hail, strong winds and even minor flooding.
"As a result, those areas affected by the strongest thunderstorms could receive structural damage, downed trees and subsequent power outages", according to the National Weather Service bulletin.
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for much of Alabama until 9 p.m. The greatest likelihood of winds of that strength will come from lines and bands of storms that may move through from time to time.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights to Atlanta's airport because of storms.
A severe thunderstorm was moving northwest into Macon County from Elmore County at 45 miles per hour.
Florida A&M University announced its main campus, FAMU Developmental Research School and the Educational Research Center for Child Development will close for the rest of the day.
"Luckily [the storms] are not expected to last long in parts of Jackson and DeKalb County", he said.
Schools districts in South Carolina's Columbia area said they would dismiss students as early as 11 a.m. and canceled after-school activities.
A Hazardous Weather Outlook is in effect for all of southeast Georgia and southeast SC.
NWS Charleston's website warned that a few Wednesday morning thunderstorms may become severe with large hail. We should see window for severe weather closing for West Alabama by 3 p.m., around 5 p.m. for the I-65 corridor, and for East Alabama around 7 p.m.
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