Severe weather in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana with tornadoes, floods, thunderstorms; 5 confirmed weather-related deaths

Severe weather has hit parts of the southern United States, and tornadoes appear to have wrought havoc in Texas and Louisiana. CBS News has confirmed five weather-related deaths in both states.

The National Weather Service issued tornado and severe thunderstorm alerts for large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi as the storm moved east. "Severe thunderstorms capable of causing high winds, heavy hail and some tornadoes are likely to be Thursday to Thursday evening on the Great South and the north coast of the Gulf," the service said.

Three people – a mother and two children – died Wednesday in Erath County, Texas, when their car was washed away by the floods. Two people are also confirmed dead in Ruston, Louisiana, after a tree fell on a house.

Wednesday morning, there were more than 15,000 blackouts in Louisiana and over 2,700 in Texas.

According to Accuweather, heavy rains hit Tuesday and Wednesday areas of western and northern Texas, with some areas receiving up to 6 inches of rain. CBS Houston affiliate KHOU announced that a likely tornado occurred Wednesday in the city of Bryan, causing damage to homes and buildings.

A tornado also appears to have hit Ruston, Louisiana, where the Louisiana Tech University closed Thursday. He said in a tweet this major damage occurred when the storm crossed its campus on Wednesday night.

The National Meteorological Service expects weather and heavy rainstorms to move Friday to the center of the Atlantic and southeastern shorelines.