At least 16 dead after tornado-spawning storms hit central US
What's the story
A powerful storm system has wreaked havoc across the central United States, leaving at least 16 people dead. The fatalities include seven in Missouri and nine in Laurel County, Kentucky.
The storms have also caused extensive damage to homes and power lines across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
More than 700,000 homes and businesses across a dozen states were without power as of early Saturday, with Missouri and Kentucky being among the worst-hit states.
Tornado impact
Tornadoes cause widespread destruction in Missouri and Kentucky
The National Weather Service confirmed a "large, extremely dangerous" tornado had moved through lower Kentucky shortly after midnight.
The storm caused severe damage in Laurel County's Sunshine Hills area, where first responders found a landscape of twisted cars and downed trees.
London (Kentucky) Mayor Randall Weddle described the devastation as unprecedented, saying he had never seen anything like it before.
St. Louis damage
Missouri's St. Louis area also severely affected
The storm system also hit Missouri's St. Louis area on Friday afternoon, killing at least seven people and injuring many others.
The National Weather Service had warned of an "extremely dangerous tornado" moving through the region.
Hospitals in the area received dozens of injured patients after the storm, with St. Louis Children's Hospital treating 15 and Barnes-Jewish Hospital receiving another 20 to 30 people injured in the storm.
Ongoing threat
Severe weather threat continues across the US
The severe weather threat is expected to continue into early next week, with another round of storms likely near the Mexican border. This puts over 20 million Americans in the Southwest at risk.
The Great Plains and Texas are also under threat of severe storms on Saturday evening, with large hail and damaging winds possible.
A multi-day outbreak of severe weather is expected to continue through Tuesday in these regions.