Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have struck Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia with large hail, fast winds and rains, killing at least 16 people.

Residents on the southeast coast were urged to seek refuge and listen for emergency warnings via radio.

"There is a significant risk for large, long-tracked and extremely destructive tornadoes to touch down over parts of central and southern Georgia, northern and central Florida and southern South Carolina into Sunday evening," said Kristina Pydynowski, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.

"However, any of the severe thunderstorms in the Southeast could spawn an isolated tornado.It only takes one tornado to cause damage and loss of life."

The weather was deadly, raging over the weekend.It was predicted to shift up along the east coast this week toward the Carolinas, New York, and Boston.Wind speeds are projected to climb to 70 miles per hour by Monday.

The brutal storm killed seven people Sunday in southern Georgia at a Cook County mobile home park.Four people died in a tornado in Mississippi Saturday, and for Sunday, more tornadoes are anticipated.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for Dougherty County in Georgia Sunday, and in Florida, another tornado ripped through Orlando with massive hail in Lake County.Florida Governor Rick Scott told citizens to "please remain vigilant and check local news for updates." The tornado watch persisted until 10 p.m.

Photo: noaa.gov