The winter storm bringing heavy snow and ice to parts of the Midwest will also bring the threat of severe weather to parts of the South and Southeast on Wednesday.

A Feb. 21-22, 1971 outbreak claimed 121 lives from Texas to North Carolina, the deadliest February rash of tornadoes in recent times. One F4 tornado near Oxford, Mississippi, killed 58 and injured 800 others, the deadliest single February tornado since 1950.

A winter storm that blanketed parts of the Midwest and Northeast with heavy snow and ice also unleashed severe weather, including tornadoes and damaging winds, across the South and Southeast on Wednesday.

A plume of moisture from the Gulf will surge across the South through Thursday. A few tornadoes, including the potential for a strong tornado, and damaging wind gusts are possible for areas from Louisiana into western Georgia.

Back-to-back storm systems will bring the potential for severe weather and flooding to the South over the next several days. Strong thunderstorms could produce damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes,