On Saturday at 7:47 p.m. a tornado watch was released by the National Weather Service in effect until Sunday at 3 a.m. for Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Macon, Pike, Randolph,

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray reports from a crowded Memphis street just hours before severe weather is forecast to sweep through with potential for strong tornadoes.

A Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch has been issued until 8 p.m. for nearly all of North Alabama.

At least 12 fatalities have been reported in Missouri, according to the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that damaged buildings, whipped up deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.

The most dangerous threat was in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, where intense long-duration tornadoes were striking on Saturday, forecasters said.