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ATLANTA (AP) — A large tornado touched down in southwest Georgia on Wednesday as high winds downed trees and power lines and other parts of the Deep South reported heavy rains and hail as large as baseballs from storms lashing the region. Forecasters said a wide area of the South, including Alabama, Georgia and parts of South Carolina were under the threat of powerful, long-lived tornadoes. Schools, churches and some businesses shut down as a precaution. There were no immediate reports of injuries, deaths or major damage from the tornado in Georgia's Stewart County, authorities in the largely rural region said. National Weather Service meteorologist Keith Stellman said the tornado touched down about noon and traveled some distance on the ground. Winds toppled several trees along roads and an interstate and power lines also were down, Stewart County Sheriff Office dispatcher Sandra James said by phone. She said she was unaware of any injuries or major damage to buildings or homes. Elsewhere, Alabama's governor declared a state of emergency because of the threat, resulting in multiple school closings, and many schools in South Carolina dismissed classes early. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights to Atlanta's airport because of storms. Churches that normally have mid-week dinners or worship services canceled activities rather than risk having members out in dangerous weather. The weather also affected the Masters golf tournament, where officials suspended practice rounds on Wednesday afternoon, cutting short the final afternoon practice before the start of the tournament. It was the second suspension of play on Wednesday and also cut short the popular Par 3 Contest. Augusta National was forced to close Monday because of heavy rains. In the east Alabama city of Oxford, convenience store manager Don Copeland was working up courage to go outside and look at his truck after a storm dumped so much grape-sized hail the ground turned white. "It's a 2015. I just made a $550 payment this morning," Copeland said. The National Weather Service said it had received reports of baseball-sized hail in the west Alabama town of Camden, but only small ice pellets fell at the McGraw-Webb Chevrolet Inc. "Thank goodness we did not get that. We just had pea-sized hail, and two or three cars were damaged," said Evan Bohannon, who handles online sales for the dealership. The weather service said strong storms were possible from Alabama to the Carolinas. Forecasters issued multiple watches and warnings as a line of weather moved through Georgia, including metro Atlanta. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said the state of emergency would last until the severe weather subsides. He said in a news release that 50 National Guard soldiers also will be deployed in the state. Alabama Power Co. reported 5,500 electrical outages statewide early Wednesday, a number that could grow through the day. Some businesses shut down because of the weather threat. In Georgia, National Weather Service meteorologist Laura Belanger said about 75 percent of the state could experience severe weather, with chances worsening in the afternoon. The outbreak of severe weather was the second to hit the South in less than a week. Storms on Sunday and Monday killed five people, including a Mississippi woman who desperately tried to direct rescuers to her sinking vehicle after it skidded into a rain-swollen creek. ___ Reeves contributed from Birmingham, Alabama.

Tornado hits Georgia as rain, hail pelts Southeast