CNN
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After a rash of violent storms killed 26 people in the South over the weekend, a new “large and extremely dangerous tornado” struck Sunday south of La Grange, Georgia, the National Weather Service in Atlanta said.

The tornado was moving east at about 40 mph on Sunday morning, and forecasters urged anyone in its past to seek safe shelter immediately.

Across the region, more than 20 million Southerners are at risk of severe storms Sunday. A tornado watch has been issued across parts of Alabama, including Montgomery and Troy, and parts of Georgia, including Columbus, La Grange and Macon, until 1 p.m.

Threats include the possibility of strong tornadoes, hail the size of tennis balls and damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said.

The storms will then push east into the Carolinas by Sunday afternoon, posing a threat of damaging winds. A marginal risk for severe storms also includes parts of central Illinois and Indiana.

And a batch of fresh storms – capable of producing very large hail, tornadoes and fierce winds – is expected to form across parts of eastern Texas on Sunday afternoon before pushing into Louisiana, Mississippi, and eventually Alabama through the afternoon and evening.

President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration Sunday for parts Mississippi on after tornado-spawning storms shredded homes and killed 26 people across the South.

At least 10 confirmed tornadoes struck Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on Friday night, according to several National Weather Service offices.

The presidential declaration allows federal aid to help recovery efforts in Mississippi counties “affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes” Friday and Saturday, the White House said in a statement.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the White House said.

An EF-4 tornado flattened much of the community of Rolling Fork, which endured maximum wind gusts of 170 miles per hour, weather service Meteorologist Bill Parker said.

EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes are considered ‘violent’ and extremely rare, and make up only about 1% of all tornadoes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The last EF-4 tornado to hit Mississippi was on April 19, 2020.

The storms nearly leveled some neighborhoods and knocked power out for thousands, officials said.

As the tornado tore through Rolling Fork, one thought raced through resident Shanta Howard’s mind: “Lord, I don’t wanna die,” she told CNN affiliate WAPT.

Drone footage showed homes leveled and reduced to piles of wood, vehicles tossed around and trees splintered.

Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker, who leads the town of about 2,000 people, said the “city is gone.”

US Rep. Bennie Thompson came to a similar conclusion.

“The police department is destroyed. City Hall is destroyed,” Thompson said. “The county courthouse is damaged. The fire department is devastated. There’s no grocery store that’s operable in the community.”

As search-and-rescue efforts continued, the community’s only hospital was offline Saturday. Those injured were taken to the nearest hospital over 50 miles away, Thompson said.

“We have been finding several casualties,” said Sharkey County Supervisor Jessie Mason. “It’s just an ongoing process and it’s gonna be a long road ahead.”

Rolling Fork Vice Mayor LaDonna Sias said residents hid from the destructive tornado, taking cover in closets, in tubs and under pillows as the storm roared outside.

“It seemed like forever until that noise stopped,” Sias recalled, describing stepping out to see homes destroyed and hearing people screaming. Sias’ own home was destroyed in the tornado.

“It was just totally devastating,” she said. “Even though we lost everything, this stuff can be replaced. Material things can be replaced, but to lose a loved one – it was just heart wrenching,” Sias said.

How to give or receive help after the Mississippi tornado

Another report of a tornado – which traveled through Blackhawk in Carroll County and Winona in Montgomery County, Mississippi, overnight into Saturday – has received a preliminary EF-3 rating, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

In Carroll County, three people died in one home, coroner Mark Stiles told CNN. Stiles said it appears they were killed in a tornado.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told CNN the agency has sent a team to the state to help with immediate needs and plan for long-term recovery.

“We want to make sure that the state has everything that they need as we work to make sure that no additional lives are lost,” FEMA Administrator Deanne said Criswell said.

Parts of northern Alabama and south-central Tennessee were also pummeled by severe storms this weekend.

At least three tornadoes struck northern Alabama, the National Weather Service’s Huntsville office said.

One man was killed in Morgan County after he was trapped inside his mobile home, said Brandy Davis, director with Morgan County Emergency Management.

And am EF-2 tornado touched down near Fayetteville, Tennessee, just north of the Tennessee-Alabama border. Additional storm surveys will be conducted over the next few days.