A powerful and sprawling storm is moving across the country and spawning severe thunderstorms with hurricane-force wind gusts and tornadoes that are knocking out power and causing damage Tuesday.

A powerful storm system will continue to spread severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes, damaging winds and hail in the South and East through Wednesday. Here's a look a the latest timing and threats for the severe weather.

Power outages skyrocketed as damage reports continued to come in Tuesday from several states as severe weather raced across portions of Texas and Oklahoma early in the day, and now the line of tornado-producing storms is charging east through Mississippi and Louisiana,

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch that includes New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas until 7 p.m. Tuesday. The threat of severe weather prompted New Orleans Mardi Gras parades to roll early Fat Tuesday and attention is now turning what is in the forecast this afternoon and evening.