Four people have died as a result of a tornado that hit six southern US states

At least four people have died as a result of dozens of tornadoes that swept through the southern United States, causing extensive property damage and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.

Nearly 40 tornadoes were reported Saturday and Sunday in Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and Arkansas.

Two deaths occurred in Mississippi, with one each in Texas and North Carolina.

According to National Weather Service (NWS) statistics, tornadoes kill about 80 people in the US every year.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said one of the state’s two deaths occurred in Adams County, about 92 miles (148 km) west of Jackson.

The second death occurred in Lowndes County on the Alabama border. At least ten people were injured across the state.

As of 10:30 a.m. local time Monday (3:30 p.m. GMT), nearly 32,000 people were still without power in Mississippi, down from about 100,000 after the weekend storm, according to PowerOutage.us.

In Texas, a tornado watch on December 28 received a rare “extremely dangerous situation” rating from the Storm Prediction Center, a rare occurrence that only occurs in about 7% of tornadoes each year.

Although there is no official criteria for issuing such warnings, they are usually issued when forecasters believe that several “strong” or “severe” tornadoes are imminent in a given area.

A 48-year-old woman was killed in Brazoria County, Texas, near the Gulf Coast, according to the local sheriff’s office. Four people also suffered minor injuries.

In Montgomery County, Texas, north of Houston, about 300 buildings were damaged – including 30 completely destroyed – after a tornado with winds of up to 145 mph (233 km/h) swept through the area.

The fourth death occurred in North Carolina, where the State Highway Patrol said a 70-year-old man, identified as Matthew Ronald Teeple, died after he was struck by a fallen tree while driving.

According to NWS statistics, on average, about 800 tornadoes occur in the United States each year, resulting in 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries.

This year, however, the U.S. recorded 1,762 tornadoes between January and November, the most since 2011.