Deadly storms sweep through Tennessee as the central and eastern US brace for yet another significant tornado threat.

Intense storms moving across the central and eastern US on Wednesday claimed the life of at least one person, with more severe weather anticipated. 

This hazardous situation unfolds following powerful tornadoes and storms that struck southwestern Michigan the previous day, resulting in widespread destruction of homes and businesses and causing injuries to several residents. 

A series of potent storms spawned tornadoes stretching from southern Michigan to Arkansas on Tuesday night, causing injuries to over a dozen individuals and leaving significant destruction in its path. As much of the central and eastern U.S. remains under threat of severe weather, the aftermath of these storms is evident.

Workers at a FedEx facility in Michigan managed to evacuate safely despite its partial collapse during the tornadoes that struck Kalamazoo County, situated less than 60 miles south of Grand Rapids. In close proximity, a tornado struck a mobile home community, resulting in injuries to as many as 20 individuals who were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, in a Facebook video, reported damage to approximately 176 properties, with 17 of them completely obliterated.

"We found homes in the roadway, we found homes in neighbor's homes," Fuller remarked, urging residents to remain indoors as officials continue their search for individuals and assess the extent of damage across the county.

Southern Ohio officials are assessing the aftermath of two presumed tornadoes that ravaged homes, uprooted trees, and snapped utility poles. Local areas experienced flooding, prompting multiple rescue operations by emergency response teams. Tornado sightings were also reported in Arkansas, Indiana, and West Virginia.

While officials and residents initiate cleanup operations following the overnight storms, millions elsewhere are preparing for further severe weather. Meteorologists anticipate a barrage of storms to strike the central U.S., bringing heavy rain, hail, and the potential for tornadoes from Wednesday afternoon into the night.

Parts of the central US are bracing for a barrage of severe weather, with nearly 20 million people from northeastern Texas to Missouri and Kentucky facing an enhanced or moderate risk of storms, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The forecast warns of tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds, with the greatest threat concentrated in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

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Cities including Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, Louisville, and Little Rock are among those potentially facing the worst impacts, as stated by the weather service. A broad swath of the central and eastern US, stretching from Texas to Georgia and up through New England, is at a slight risk of encountering adverse weather conditions.

Reports as of 2 p.m. reveal overturned trees causing damage to homes and other structures in Tennessee, along with downed power lines in Grainger County, outside Knoxville. Kentucky and Missouri also experienced damage from strong wind gusts, reaching speeds of 67 mph, with several school districts in Tennessee altering schedules in response.

Throughout the day and into the evening, meteorologists anticipate multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms hitting the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys. Thunderstorms are forecast to develop across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas by late afternoon, bringing along the threat of large hail, heavy rain, and possible tornadoes as the system moves eastward through the night.

Flood watches are in effect across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri until Thursday, with some areas expecting 2 to 5 inches of rainfall.

In St. Joseph County, just south of Kalamazoo, Michigan, a tornado destroyed seven structures, mostly homes, although there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths. Officials credit early weather advisories with potentially saving lives.

"The early warnings saved lives," remarked Ernie Ostuno, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Rapids. Meanwhile, thousands of homes and businesses in Michigan, Ohio, and Arkansas were without power Wednesday morning due to storm-related outages.

The storm system spawned at least eight tornadoes in Michigan, with additional tornadoes reported in Arkansas, Ohio, and West Virginia. Earlier in the week, powerful storms in the Plains region produced multiple tornadoes, causing fatalities in Oklahoma, damaging homes across several states, and resulting in widespread power outages.

Contributions from: Dinah Voyles Pulver; Kylie Martin, Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press; Cheryl Vari, Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer