AP

TUPELO, Miss. — An apparent tornado hit a Mississippi shopping mall as a line of severe storms swept across the Southeast and was headed to the Mid-Atlantic today.

Photo: Justin Ward assesses the tornado damage to his home near Pauls Valley, Okla. Thursday, May 8, 2008. Ward is standing in what used to be his kitchen. The home was hit by a possible tornado on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. (By Jim Richardson, Pauls Valley Daily Democrat /AP)

Portions of Alabama remained under tornado watches until early Thursday evening as the storm moved east over the Mississippi Valley. The system was due to bring severe storms and wind to southern Virginia today. The storm was due in New England by Saturday, the Weather Channel reported.

No injuries were reported but a possible tornado in Oklahoma injured one woman a day earlier, authorities said. In south-central Tennessee, at least four homes and several barns were damaged.

In northwest Alabama, winds gusting up to 60 mph also damaged a house and a building in a rural area, said George Grabryan, emergency management director in Lauderdale County.

Winds damaged the Barnes Crossing shopping mall in Tupelo, about 160 miles northeast of Jackson.

"There were trees down and stuff blown around on Gloster, the main street near the mall," said Dimple Patel, a motel manager. "All the lights were out ."

Lee County Chief Deputy John Hall said a possible tornado knocked over trees and rural power lines before striking Tupelo's business district along U.S. 45.

Photo: Leigh Ann Frederick gestures in front of her upended home in Florence, Ala., on Thursday. (By Jim Richardson, Pauls Valley Daily Democrat /AP)

"An 18-wheeler turned over on U.S. 45," Hall said. "And there's a doctor's complex with offices and a clinic where a tree blew over."

Areas of Mississippi, including Jackson, have suffered damage in recent weeks as storm systems packing tornadoes slammed the state.

If confirmed, this would be the eighth tornado to hit Mississippi this month, according to the National Weather Service. Last year, no tornadoes were reported in May.

A tornado reported near the southern Oklahoma town of Paoli picked a mobile home off the ground, said Garvin County Emergency Management Director Buck Pearson.

A woman and her son were inside. Cindy Ward suffered some broken toes and was bruised, but the boy was uninjured, Pearson said. A family member dug them out of the wreckage, Pearson said.

Contributing: Kathleen Baydala, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger; Associated Press

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

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