'This Is Not How Anyone Wants to Celebrate Easter'

Easter Sunday closed in a fury in the South, where strong storms left at least seven people dead in Mississippi. Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency there, citing tornadoes that had hit. He tweeted, “This is not how anyone wants to celebrate Easter. As we reflect on the death and resurrection on this Easter Sunday, we have faith that we will all rise together. ... We are mobilizing all resources available to protect our people and their property.” The deaths occurred in three counties, all of which sit south of Jackson and are located near the Louisiana state line. The AP reports on two on the victims: Lawrence County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Ainsworth was killed with wife Paula We, a Walthall County Justice Court deputy clerk.

CNN puts the current death toll from the weather at 14, with six dead in Georgia and one fatality in Arkansas. The Weather Channel reports at least 39 tornadoes were reported. Some 750,000 woke to no power Monday across 10 states reaching from Texas to West Virginia, and those in other states are bracing themselves, with upwards of 150 million people under a wind advisory or warning on Monday. The Weather Channel cites NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, which has issued a tornado watch in effect until noon across parts of Virginia and North and South Carolina. (More storm stories.)