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US storms: At least 11 dead in trail of destruction US storms: At least 14 dead in trail of destruction
(about 9 hours later)
At least 11 people have been killed and scores more injured by a devastating storm which left a path of destruction across the US South on Christmas Eve. A clear-up has begun after a violent storm left at least 14 people dead and destroyed homes in several US South and Midwest states on Christmas Eve.
Seven people were killed as tornadoes moved through northern Mississippi overnight, officials said, and three more died in Tennessee and one in Arkansas. Mississippi was worst hit, with seven people dead, while six others were killed in Tennessee.
There have been reports of at least 20 tornadoes of varying severity. A seven-year-old boy, who was inside a car picked up and tossed in the storm, was among the dead.
A seven-year-old boy was among those killed. At least 20 tornadoes have been reported, knocking down trees and leaving thousands without power.
Authorities in parts of Mississippi are conducting a house-by-house search-and-rescue operation after the state was hit by multiple tornadoes. Search teams have been combing through damaged buildings in the affected states, the situation complicated by the fact many people may be away for Christmas.
The boy was inside a car, which was picked up and tossed in the storm. His relatives, who were also in the vehicle, were taken to a hospital for treatment. "Santa brought us a good one, didn't he?" said Bobby Watkins in rural Benton County, Mississippi.
Planes at a small airport in the north-west of the state were overturned and an unknown number of people were injured. One large tornado reportedly touched land in Mississippi and tore a path more than 100 miles (160 km) long to Tennessee.
"I'm looking at some horrific damage right now," Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett was quoted by the AP news agency as saying. A state of emergency has been declared by the Mississippi governor.
"Sheet metal is wrapped around trees; there are overturned airplanes; a building is just destroyed." In Georgia, the heavy rain caused flash floods and a landslide, jamming roads with traffic.
Mississippi's Interstate 55 was closed in both directions as the tornado approached, the state's Highway Patrol said. The threat of tornadoes eased as the line of storms moved east on Thursday, but heavy rain and thunderstorms still caused flooding and travel chaos in Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas.
There are reports that one large tornado touched land in Mississippi and travelled 100 miles to Tennessee. The National Weather Service warned severe storms and heavy rains were also possible in Oklahoma, Arkansans, Texas and Louisiana over the weekend in its latest update.
The threat of tornadoes eased as the line of storms moved east on Thursday, but heavy rain and thunderstorms caused flooding and travel chaos in Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas. While extreme weather in the US before Christmas is not unknown, meteorologists say that unseasonably high temperatures contributed to the severity of the storm.
The national Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma had released a "particularly dangerous situation" warning for the first time since June 2014 when two massive tornadoes destroyed a rural Nebraska town, killing two people.
The possibility of bad weather just before Christmas in the US is not unusual, officials at the centre say.
One year ago a tornado hit south-eastern Mississippi, killing five people and injuring dozens more.One year ago a tornado hit south-eastern Mississippi, killing five people and injuring dozens more.
A storm on Christmas Day in 2012 which included several tornadoes damaged homes from Texas to Alabama.A storm on Christmas Day in 2012 which included several tornadoes damaged homes from Texas to Alabama.