Severe storms with tornadoes hit the South, while the West braces for dangerous heat

Much of the South and eastern parts of the country are bracing for extreme weather that includes tornadoes, while the West is expected to see dangerously high temperatures.

Severe storms will sweep through Kentucky up to southern New York, the National Weather Service said Friday in a post on X. The wet weather is expected to bring flash flooding, the weather service said Thursday.

In a Friday morning post on X, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said officials were responding to reports of a possible tornado in Washington County. One person was killed and multiple people were injured, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

Beshear said that "this level of severe weather" was not expected.

Eastern and southeastern parts of the state are expected to see severe weather throughout the day.

"Please be alert this morning and stay safe," the governor said.

In Henry County, Georgia, forecasters warned Friday of damaging wind gusts, hail and possible tornadoes.

On Thursday afternoon, a tornado ripped through the Laurel Creek subdivision in Henry County, NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported. At least 13 structures were damaged, and the 18-year-old son of "The Wire" actor Tray Chaney was severely injured.

Chaney said his son was thrown "300 feet out of his room" by the tornado.

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"I was sitting on my bed and I heard the wind, I felt everything," he said in an Instagram video, panning the camera to show the remains of his flattened house.

Chaney said he had just left the hospital and was going back to see his son in the intensive care unit.

"Thank God I'm still living. I survived the tornado," he said, crying. "I'm doing a video to let you know, cherish life, cherish life as much as you can. ... I wish I could replace the pain with my son, I wish he was the one doing the video and I was the one still in ICU."

A tornado watch is in effect through 8 p.m. for parts of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. Southwest North Carolina to eastern Alabama is under a severe thunderstorm watch through 8 p.m. It's possible the area could see wind gusts up to 70 mph along with large hail and a few tornadoes.

Meanwhile, dangerously hot temperatures are expected in California and southern Nevada, the weather service said.

"Significant warming today with an elevated risk for heat illness. Cooler but more humid over the weekend as tropical moisture moves over the region, also bringing a chance for showers or thunderstorms," the agency stated in its forecast discussion Friday morning.

Near-normal temperatures are expected Monday and Tuesday, according to the weather service.