ATLANTA - An emergency official says more people have been killed as violent storms tear across southern Georgia.

Sebon Burns, chief deputy emergency management director for Georgia's Dougherty County, said "fatalities and a lot of injuries" have been reported since an apparent tornado cut a path through the county Sunday afternoon.

Burns said he could not give even an estimate for how many people died.

Earlier Sunday the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported 12 total deaths had been confirmed in three other Georgia counties after storms hit before dawn Sunday.

A wide area of Georgia and parts of South Carolina and Florida remained under tornado watches Sunday evening.