3 Dead as More Storms Move Through Eastern U.S.

• Follow our updated coverage of Thursday's severe weather here.

At least three people were dead on Wednesday after strong storms swept through North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, bringing intense rain, winds and hail in some areas. The severe weather arrived a day after widespread storms pummeled the Midwest, and tornadoes tore through Michigan.

Officials in North Carolina said there was one storm-related death in Gaston County, just west of Charlotte, as they braced for more severe weather overnight.

In Claiborne County in northeast Tennessee, one person was killed after a tree fell on a vehicle as storms passed through the area around 10 a.m. local time, according to the county's office of emergency management.

Another person died on Wednesday evening in Maury County, Tenn., after a "large and destructive" tornado was spotted near Spring Hill, about 35 miles south of Nashville. About 10 miles away, the storm hit near Columbia, a city of about 45,00 residents. The death was confirmed by Rita Thompson, a spokeswoman for Maury Regional Health, a hospital in Columbia.

Three patients were hospitalized with injures that weren't life-threatening and a fourth was in serious condition, Ms. Thompson said.

The storm left a trail of debris and people trapped in damaged homes, said Pat Woodmansee, the assistant director of the county's emergency management agency.

The Maury County school district said on social media that its schools would be closed on Thursday because of storm damage, while several other school districts around Nashville announced closures because of flooding and severe weather.

Several storms passed through the city of Huntsville, Ala., downing numerous trees and power lines, a statement from the city government said. A tornado was confirmed there on Wednesday night.

In Athens, a city about 20 miles northwest of Huntsville, officials reported large hail and flooded roads. The authorities were responding to a possible building fire that was sparked by a downed power line, according to Holly Hollman, a city spokeswoman.

As storms continued to batter the Midwest for a third day and moved into the Eastern United States on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service issued a string of tornado warnings in cities across the central and southern United States. Early Thursday, warnings were still in effect for parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

More than 200,000 customers were without power across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri early Thursday, according to Poweroutage.us.

Forecast risk of tornadoes for Wednesday

Source: National Weather Service Notes: This map indicates risk in up to three tiers: Some, there is at least some chance of extreme weather in the area; Moderate, it is likely that damaging weather will happen in the area; and High, extreme, dangerous weather is expected in the area. Data is as of [DATETIME] and is not available for Alaska and Hawaii. By The New York Times

Heavy rain also prompted flash flood warnings on Wednesday for parts of Tennessee and Missouri. Forecasters said that flooding had already been reported in cities like Cole Camp and Lincoln in Missouri, and could spread to small creeks, streams, highways and other low-lying areas.

Judson Jones contributed reporting.

Jesus Jiménez covers breaking news, online trends and other subjects. He is based in New York City. More about Jesus Jiménez