Storms cause damage across Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee; millions still face severe weather warnings

A surge of destructive storms lashed multiple states across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Tuesday, with various tornado watches impacting millions and severe weather warnings spreading over a much wider slice of the country, from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. 

Violent wind gusts and heavy rain had already caused serious damage to some areas by mid-afternoon, wrecking buildings and forcing highway closures as crews worked to clear downed power lines, trees and other debris.

Large sections of Ohio and Kentucky were contending with the most serious risks, along with a stretch of far-eastern Indiana. The Storm Prediction Center's most recent severe weather outlook ranked threats in parts of those states at Level 4, of five levels, just before 12 p.m. CDT. Level 4 corresponds with "moderate" on that scale. Much of Kentucky and southern Ohio received that warning, including major cities like Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lexington and Louisville.