The National Weather Service says storms moving into Louisiana by Wednesday night could become severe with heavy rains, winds as strong as 70 mph and a few tornadoes.

The threat will spread eastward during the overnight hours.

The Storm Prediction Center says there’s a slight risk of severe weather Thursday along the coast eastward into the Florida Panhandle. The threat extends northward into southern Mississippi, south Alabama and southwestern Georgia. Some areas could get as much as 4 inches of rain.

Forecasters say there’s a reduced risk of bad weather in an area that extends to the north and all the way east to the Carolinas.