A severe storm system is bringing large hail and powerful winds to Alabama, while also providing much-needed rain to drought-stricken areas in the Southeast. The storms are part of a larger system affecting a wide swath of the US, from Texas to Pennsylvania, and are easing drought conditions in some areas, such as Mississippi and the Ohio Valley. However, the storms have also caused flooding and fatalities in some parts of the South, with reports of at least 19 deaths.