The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings early Saturday for areas in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Texas.

A powerful storm system roared across the Midwest and South Friday night, unleashing a series of tornadoes that carved paths of destruction and left at least three dead in Missouri.

The fast-moving line of storms was capable of producing destructive winds over 70 miles per hour and potential tornadoes, and was expected to clear the Chicago area and Northwest

High winds remain the primary concern for the incoming storms, reaching up to 75 miles per hour. Tornadoes are still a possibility.

A line of severe thunderstorms, the first extreme weather event of the year, will hit the Chicago area around midnight Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for more than 2 million people on Saturday. An "outbreak" of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms is expected through Saturday night in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, western Georgia, southern Tennessee, the Florida Panhandle and southern Arkansas.

Strong storms are heading to the Upstate, the National Weather Service says, and tornadoes could spin out of them. The weather service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg counties,

Most of the rest of north Alabama will have a Level 2 risk, and a small area in the northeast corner of the state will have a Level 1 risk. If storms can develop they have the potential to be intense, especially west of Interstate 65. Tornadoes, damaging winds and hail will be possible.

We all hear the terms when there's a threat of severe weather. But what does each alert mean, and how does it affect you?

Round one of storms has ended, and round two of storms is setting up along the Mississippi River. This round is expected to impact West Alabama as early as noon today.