 Things changed the next day in the South as the system moved eastward , with the cold front entering a more conducive environment . The increased wind shear , combined with the high heat and humidity , allowed tornadoes to begin forming in the late morning and continued throughout the afternoon , evening and even into the overnight hours . By the end of the day , a total of 48 tornadoes developed . Several of them caused significant damage , and even loss of life . The worst tornadoes hit Middle Tennessee , where 12 people were killed . In addition to the tornadoes , there have been many reports of hail as large as softballs and reports of powerful microbursts and straight @-@ line winds , as well as local flooding . Extensive damage was also reported in the northern suburbs of Atlanta , Georgia as the storms reached that area overnight into the early morning of April 8 . 
