Storm Front Crossing South, Raising Flood Threats

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A storm front with severe weather is settling on the South, bringing heavy rains and a possible tornado in Alabama.

The National Weather Service said a funnel cloud was reported Wednesday near Hamilton in west Alabama as strong winds and heavy rains pounded the area, bringing down trees and flooding streets. In north Mississippi, 30 to 40 homes have been damaged.

A day earlier, six tornadoes touched down in North Carolina, damaging a dozen homes and causing three minor injuries.

The saturated ground and front across the region posed flash flooding threats from West Virginia to Mississippi. Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman Gil Frances says the federal utility is releasing water through its dams to prepare for the Mississippi River’s expected crest Sunday.