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Guntown: Shane Keith and other volunteers help search debris and try to salvage what they can from their church that was completely destroyed in a tornado that touched down in Guntown, Miss., on Monday. Image Credit: AP

Washington: Tornadoes swept across swaths of the southeastern United States killing at least two people in northern Alabama and one person in Louisiana, tearing roofs off buildings, splintering trees and downing power lines, officials said.

Most of the tornado and storm damage was reported in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas starting early Monday, sheriff’s officials told local media.

Survey teams will be sent out at first light Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage, said Rich Thompson, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.

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Carl Estes searches for books and other items from his church on County Road 911 that was completely destroyed Monday by a tornado in Guntown Mississippi. Image Credit: AP

“Initial reports suggest first tornado was reported in Louisiana around 10.35 [am] CST and first tornado fatality was somewhere around 11.18am CST,” said NWS meteorologist Jared Guyer.

More rain and wind is expected overnight and into Tuesday as the storms push off into southeastern Georgia, Florida’s panhandle and the Carolina coasts in the morning hours.

At least 28,300 people had power outages in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to the tracking site Poweroutage.Us.