▁an ▁EF 4 ▁torn ado ▁that ▁dev ast ated ▁rural ▁communities ▁from ▁Be a ure g ard , ▁Alabama ▁through ▁Smith s ▁Station , ▁Alabama ▁to ▁Tal bot ton , ▁Georgia , ▁killing ▁ 2 3 ▁people ▁and ▁inj uring ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 0 ▁others . ▁Its ▁death ▁to ll ▁represented ▁more ▁than ▁twice ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁torn ado ▁death s ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁dead liest ▁single ▁torn ado ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁Moore ▁EF 5 ▁torn ado . ▁An ▁EF 3 ▁torn ado ▁destroyed ▁resid ences ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁T alla has see ▁in ▁Leon ▁County , ▁Florida , ▁and ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁second ▁torn ado ▁of ▁that ▁strength ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁Several ▁other ▁strong ▁torn ado es ▁occurred ▁across ▁the ▁region ▁throughout ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁March   3 ▁and ▁caused ▁significant ▁damage . ▁A ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁EF 0 ▁and ▁EF 1 ▁torn ado es ▁also ▁touched ▁down . ▁ ▁Meteor ological ▁syn opsis ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 8 , ▁the ▁Storm ▁Pred iction ▁Center ▁( SP C ) ▁issued ▁a ▁day   four ▁risk ▁for ▁severe ▁th under st orm s ▁across ▁a ▁broad ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast ▁United ▁States ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁northern ▁Louisiana ▁through ▁north western ▁Georgia . ▁A ▁broad ▁slight ▁risk ▁was ▁introduced ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁narrow ▁en hanced ▁risk ▁was ▁raised ▁across