A powerful, wide-reaching spring storm is threatening parts of the central and eastern US, with a life-threatening outbreak of long-lived and strong tornadoes possible in some areas. Follow here for live updates.

A tornado outbreak is expected across parts of the Midwest and mid-South beginning on Wednesday and lasting into Wednesday night. Widespread damaging winds, large hail and strong tornadoes are likely. The threat of severe weather will continue into the weekend in conjunction with a life-threatening flood threat.

Forecasters issued some of their rarest and most extreme alerts on Wednesday as they warned a powerful storm system would stall over the central part of the country.

Up to 72 million from Texas to Michigan are under severe storm risk as heavy rain, flash flooding and strong tornadoes are forecast to hit the Lower Ohio Valley and Mid-South.

Tornadoes are all unique when it comes to various factors, including how far they travel and how long they last. Rare ones can track for multiple hours and over 100 miles, while others last a minute or less and might only track for less than a tenth of a mile.

Today into tonight is a Weather Aware Day for our viewing area.  We have an Enhanced Risk for severe weather this evening from Central into Eastern Kansas, a Wind Advisory and a Fire Weather

NBC 5 Storm Team, the first round of severe weather could occur early Wednesday morning, and a second, more powerful round could develop late Wednesday morning

So far, a confirmed tornado was reported in Pearsonia in Osage County around 5:12 a.m., in Owasso around 6:38 a.m., and in Sperry around 6:34 a.m. Damage reports are coming in from Owasso, and damage may also be in the Pearsonia region. Damage was also seen near O'Brien Park in North Tulsa.

When an EF3 tornado swept through Poplar Bluff, Wis., on March 14, Darby Russom lost her home and all of her possessions — including her wedding photos. A couple nearly 100 miles away found one of those photos on their lawn and,