The death toll following days of tumultuous weather in the Southeast rose to 18 on Saturday, as flooding persisted and the threat of tornadoes lingered.
The body of a 5-year-old boy, who went missing Friday after the car he was in was washed over by floodwaters, was discovered in Alabama, according to the Coffee County Sheriff's Office. A man in his 20s, who was also in the car, is still missing, according to authorities.
The boy's death was the first confirmed in Alabama, but the wild weather in the region since mid-week had led to 10 deaths in Mississippi, six in Tennessee and one in Arkansas.
An additional 56 injuries were reported in Mississippi after heavy flooding, and more than 240 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn.
A swath of the country from Northeast Texas to Ohio remained under flood watches Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Northern Alabama, which has been pounded by downpours since Wednesday, was under flood warnings Saturday night. Gov. Robert Bentley said the flooding led to the closure of 190 roads throughout the state.
Bentley, who has declared a state of emergency, toured heavily impacted areas and the shelters set up there on Saturday. He said the levees are expected to hold against the influx of water.
Inmates from an Alabama correctional facility three miles north of Montgomery, were evacuated in case the building took on flood waters, according to Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton.
Dozens of homes have been damaged or destroyed in the flooding, but a tornado that touched down in Birmingham Friday left minimal damage. Four people had been transported to local hospitals with minor injuries due to the tornado, Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker said.
Damaging winds, hail, thunderstorms and possible tornadoes won't leave the southern part of the country until at least Monday, according to Weather.com.
