By MAX GOLEMBO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — At least five people are dead in Alabama after the state was hit with 17 reported tornadoes Thursday. The storms in the South produced at least 23 reported tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

A long-track tornado from Greensboro – Centerville – Brent – Calera may have been on the ground for roughly 100 miles Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama.

Overall, eight states from Indiana east to West Virginia and south to Mississippi saw severe weather Thursday, with 100 damaging storm reports of winds over 60 mph and baseball size hail.

Severe weather is quieting down Friday, but a new storm is expected to produce more severe weather for the hard-hit South this weekend, including tornadoes.

The biggest threat for tornadoes will be from Arkansas to northern Mississippi and into Tennessee on Saturday. The threat includes cities such as Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and just north of Tupelo, Mississippi.

By Sunday, the severe weather risk will move into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Major cities like Atlanta, Raleigh, North Carolina and Washington, D.C., could see damaging winds, large hail and even an isolated tornado.

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