Flash flooding alerts were in place for 9 million people, mostly in Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Indiana. At least 68 million people were under severe weather warnings on Memorial Day, as storms turned toward the Northeast after claiming the lives of at least 19 people and leaving half a million homes and businesses without power across the central United States. Some emergency phones lines had been damaged and were not operational, Kentucky State Police said, according to NBC affiliate WNKY of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Monday's weather warnings come after a torrid night across southern states and in the Great Plains. Weather watchers posted pictures from Missouri and Kentucky showing huge, ominous funnel clouds as well as golf ball-sized hailstones.

---

Persons: Cindi Watts, Evan Garcia, Mike Morgan, Michelle Grossman, Brian Spurlock Organizations: REUTERS, NBC, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Getty, Kentucky State Police, Tornadoes, NWS, National Weather Service, Lone Star State, West, Associated Press Locations: Temple , Texas, U.S, Colorado, Rand, Denver, Jackson, Tennessee , Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, East Coast, Carolinas, Pennsylvania, New York, United States, INDIANAPOLIS, Indianapolis , Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia, Bowling Green , Kentucky, Great, Texas, Oklahoma, Valley View , Texas, Fort Worth, West , Florida