Severe storms threaten the South with tornadoes and hurricane-force winds Friday night

Nearly 80 million people in the South are facing the risk of severe weather Friday into Saturday, with the threat of tornadoes, destructive winds and large hail.

The area under the threat of severe weather spans from southeastern Texas through the Florida Panhandle at the Gulf Coast to lower Michigan. The greatest threat will be in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama which the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) labeled a level 4 out of 5, or "moderate risk." This includes Jackson, Mississippi and Monroe, Louisiana.