Power companies are struggling to restore electricity to thousands of people in Mississippi, a day after a powerful storm swept through the southern US and killed at least four people.

Police in Columbia, Mississippi, were stationed at all major intersections because traffic lights were swept away or destroyed amid yesterday's powerful storms. Columbia is about 80 miles south-east of the capital of Jackson.

Severe weather also injured 50 people and damaged or destroyed an unknown number of homes and businesses.

In south Georgia, meanwhile, more than 50 counties are under a tornado watch as thunderstorms continue in many parts of the state.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.