Over 20 million at risk as storms continue to threaten the South

Over 20 million people living in an area spanning from the eastern Gulf Coast to the Carolinas are at risk of receiving extreme weather as a storm system fixated on the South has pushed its way east Sunday.

Multiple tornadoes and damaging storms have impacted the South over the last few days, killing two people -- one in Texas and the other in Mississippi. As of Saturday afternoon, five preliminary tornadoes were reported in Louisiana and Texas, leaving structural damage in their wake.

Damage from a storm through that rolled through the night before is seen at the heart of downtown in Athens, Ala., on Sunday.Lance George / AP

The storm system shifted east Sunday, bringing the threat of heavy rain, damaging winds, hail and severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes to the area stretching from Florida to southern Virginia. Jacksonville, Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta are included in this risk for more tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail.

A tornado watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the Carolinas and Georgia until 1 p.m. E.T. Multiple tornado warnings have been issued in southwestern North Carolina Sunday morning, including in Ellerbe and Wadesboro until 11 a.m. E.T.

A severe thunderstorm watch was also issued for parts of central North Carolina and eastern South Carolina, including coastal waters, until 5 p.m. E.T. Sunday, per the weather service's storm prediction center.

"A fast-moving line of showers and occasional thunderstorms will produce gusty winds and occasional damaging gusts through the early afternoon," the storm prediction center said in a Sunday morning advisory. "An isolated tornado or two is also possible."