(CNN) — Hit by more than 100 tornadoes on Easter weekend, the Southeast is bracing for another round of severe storms on Sunday.

Southern states from Texas to the Carolinas are at risk for damaging winds, hail, and strong tornadoes.

Check your local weekend forecast here >>>

Overall, more than 50 million people face the threat of severe storms from eastern Texas to South Carolina, and millions of them are under flash flood watches. For cities like Montgomery, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi, a level 4 out of 5 severe threat exists, where strong tornadoes (EF2 or stronger) are possible, along with large hail (tennis ball size or larger).

“No two weather patterns are ever the same, but these are very similar,” said CNN meteorologist Gene Norman. “That being said, there are big differences between this Sunday and what happened Easter. For example, the position of the jet stream is further south than on Easter, and there also is not as much shear in the atmosphere for these locations.”

Norman also notes that the deeper moisture is still along the Gulf Coast this weekend. On Easter, that moisture surged all the way to the Great Lakes. This could limit how widespread these storms may be compared to last week’s event.

There will be two waves of storms. The first will be in the morning stretching from Louisiana to Georgia, pushing east through the afternoon. The second wave initiates along the Texas-Louisiana state line around lunch time, and travels east through the afternoon, eventually reaching Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas during the evening and overnight hours.

Track the storms this weekend here >>>

“While unusual to see nearly identical-looking threats exactly one week apart, this is the peak time of year for severe weather and tornadoes across the southern US, especially in the area called Dixie Alley,” CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

The area, like Tornado Alley in the Plains, historically produces tornadoes as the seasons change. Dixie Alley is more dangerous because of the population density in heavily forested areas and many of these storms produced nighttime tornadoes.

Much like last weekend’s storms, some of these will hit Sunday night or early Monday morning. This is why it’s essential to have a way to receive alerts about tornadoes in your area, even while sleeping. Weather radios are a great tool, and so are weather alert phone apps, if you use them correctly. Many phone apps will not work if your phone is in silent or do not disturb mode. Always make sure your phone is fully charged before you go to bed.

Flooding is also possible

The storms are expected to bring heavy rain and possible flooding.

“There has been an increasing signal for a widespread heavy rain event,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said Friday.

An estimated 3 to 6 inches could fall from the lower Mississippi Delta to portions of the Southern Appalachians, with even higher amounts in some areas.

With back-to-back weekends of rain, flash flooding is possible in areas — like the Tennessee River Valley — that are already saturated.

“The past seven days have been 400 to 600+ percent of normal in the Tennessee Valley,” according to the weather service.

In parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, excessive rainfall is likely along with rapid runoff, urban ponding and flooding, the weather service said.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox