AccuWeather.com

By Dan DePodwin, Meteorologist

Feb 24, 2012; 7:23 PM ET

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An intense thunderstorm but brilliant lightning show. Photo courtesy of Photos.com

A strong cold front slicing through the eastern third of the nation will trigger gusty thunderstorms from the Delmarva to northern Florida into the early evening.

As of 7:00 p.m. EST, broken lines of severe thunderstorms and some discrete storms stretched from northern Florida to Delmarva.

The main threats will be damaging wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. However, there is the potential for the strongest storms to produce a tornado.

An EF-2 tornado touched down near the Lexington county line in South Carolina. Winds were estimated to reach up to 130 mph.

Emergency manager and the local sheriff's department spotted a tornado with intermittent touchdowns 6 miles west/southwest of Pinewood, S.C.

This afternoon in Duplin County, North Carolina, Emergency Management said there was major damage to a mobile home. Four miles southwest of Pink Hill, N.C, a vehicle was totaled and at least one person was injured.

A waterspout was spotted on Lake Pontchartrain, 10 miles north-northeast Metairie, La., before midday.

High winds damaged the roof of a school in Jackson, Ala., at midday, while several trees were snapped and a utility building was overturned in Lanett, Ala.

Dozens of incidents involving downed trees and power lines have been prompted by this storm.Various houses and vehicles have been damaged.

The greatest risk for a few tornadoes stretches from southeastern Virginia to central and eastern Georgia.

People should remain alert for rapidly changing weather conditions and seek shelter indoors away from windows as the storms approach. The thunderstorms will contain frequent lightning strikes.

Several trees have been blown down already from this storm system. Up to golf ball-sized hail will continue to fall from a few of the strongest storms.

New Augusta, Miss., and an area 6 miles southeast of Lagrange, Miss., got hit by golf ball-sized hail.

The unusual warmth (temperatures over 20 degrees above average) in place across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic will create an environment conducive for gusty thunderstorms.

Cities in the line of fire into the first part of this evening include Richmond and Norfolk in Virginia, Raleigh, and Wilmington in North Carolina, Charleston and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and Jacksonville in Florida.

As with most thunderstorms, heavy rain will also be a threat. Downpours could cause local flash flooding, especially in urban areas. The downpours will result in sudden low visibility on the roadways.

The threat of violent storms will end from west to east across the area early this evening as a cold front sweeps through. However, gusty winds in the wake of the front can still cause problems in terms of downed tree branches and perhaps minor power outages.

In the wake of the front, temperatures will fall sharply overnight.

Looking ahead to the weekend, high pressure is expected to dominate the weather across much of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.

Residents of the immediate Gulf Coast to the Florida Panhandle could see some showers this weekend which could dampen the Daytona 500.

There was a lack of severe thunderstorm activity Thursday evening with marginally favorable atmospheric conditions. The overall atmosphere along part of the Atlantic Seaboard is much more unstable today, relatively speaking.

Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed to the content of this story.