At least five people are dead after a storm system spawned severe weather and tornadoes across six states in the southeastern United States, Wednesday.

Meteorologists said the storm system was part of a cold front moving across the southeast, the same area that was heavily damaged earlier this year by one of the most active tornado seasons on record.

Thousands of residents were still without power Thursday as the clean up began from Louisiana to North Carolina.

In Alabama, National Weather Service research teams were trying to determine how many twisters touched down, and just how big they were.

A suspected tornado tore down trees and demolished mobile homes near the Auburn University campus.

"All the sudden it just kept getting bigger and bigger and the winds just got real heavy," one eyewitness told ABC's "Good Morning America."

A storm this severe so late in the year took many residents by surprise.

"The weather doesn't follow the calendar. The weather follows ingredients," explained Bernie Rayno, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.com.

Those ingredients came together Wednesday night, which some say created a scene like something out of a movie.

"It was like the 'Wizard of Oz.' How they all get lifted up and just start spinning. I felt like I was on a roller coaster," said Stephanie Blauvelt, a storm survivor.

Weather experts said it was the worst bout of weather for Alabama since about 250 people were killed during a tornado outbreak in April.