Storms sweep over Deep South with rain, wind, floods; 2 dead

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – A powerful winter storm is sweeping across the Deep South with high winds, rain and floods. Two people are dead and another missing, with injuries racking up as rescue crews pull people from cars and homes in high water. Afternoon tornado watches are in effect for a huge swath of the Southeast, from the Florida Panhandle up through North Carolina. The storm has destroyed homes in Mississippi and Alabama, caused mudslides in Tennessee and Kentucky and flooded communities that shoulder waterways across the Appalachian region. More than 370 flights into and out of Charlotte, North Carolina, have been canceled.