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Tornadoes Just Killed More People In 48 Hours Than During All Of 2016

At least 20 people were killed over the weekend as tornadoes tore through the Southeast. In 2016, a total of 17 people were killed by twisters.

By: Briana Koeneman

Posted at 11:56 AM, Jan 23, 2017

and last updated 2017-01-23 11:56:00-05

Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the Southeast over the weekend, killing more people in just 48 hours than in all of 2016.

As of Monday morning, emergency officials say at least 20 people died and dozens more were injured as a series of violent storms made its way across the region.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency confirmed 15 of those deaths occurred in four counties in the southern part of the state. And officials reported four deaths in Mississippi and one in Florida.

Twisters were reported in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

This storm system already makes tornadoes in 2017 more deadly than last year. The total number of tornado deaths in 2016 only came to 17.

It's unusual for such a deadly string of tornadoes to occur so early in the year.

But January tornado outbreaks aren't unheard of. According to the Storm Prediction Center, the U.S. saw an average of 16 tornadoes in January during the past three years.