Weather service confirms tornadoes in southern storms

The National Weather Service says more than a dozen tornadoes have been confirmed in the South after a weekend of violent weather that left at least eight people dead.

The agency says a survey team found evidence of an EF-3 twister with winds of at least 136 mph near Weches, Texas, and two other smaller tornadoes touched down in the same region Saturday. Another EF-3 twister flattened part of Franklin, Texas.

The system moved eastward into Mississippi, where the weather service says teams have confirmed eight tornadoes. And at least three weak tornadoes struck Alabama on Sunday.

The weather says the numbers could go up because teams are still assessing damage.

Four people were killed in Texas. The other victims died in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Meanwhile, much of the eastern Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic woke up Monday to damaged buildings, closed schools, and dark homes and businesses after powerful storms that spawned at least one confirmed tornado.