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Severe weather kills 19 in Georgia and Mississippi; death toll could rise

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Severe weather whipped though parts of the south over the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

Authorities in Georgia said Monday that at least 15 people were killed after intense storms raged through the southern part of the state. Seven of those deaths occurred when an apparent twister struck a trailer park in Cook County.

In southern Mississippi, a severe storm, including a tornado, tore through Hattiesburg early Saturday, killing at least four people.

A search and rescue operation continued in Hattiesburg, Mayor Johnny DuPree said, where violent winds tore roofs off homes and tossed around trees.

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Most of the damage in Hattiesburg appeared to be in the downtown's outskirts, DuPree told CNN. A fire station was damaged, as was William Carey University.

Students at the private school reported minor injuries, university officials said. The university said on Twitter that all dormitory rooms and neighboring apartment buildings had been checked and cleared.

WWL tweeted that an 18-wheeler overturned in Wal-Mart parking lot in Petal, Mississippi.

At Southern Mississippi University, school officials tweeted that "multiple portions" of the school was experiencing flash flooding.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said that damage also was reported in Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties.