Rescue crews warned the toll was likely to rise as teams combed wreckage for survivors.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told NPR that 18 people were confirmed dead in his state, most of them aged in their 60s and 70s.
The city of London, a community of 8,000 in Laurel County, “took a direct hit in the middle of the night – the worst kind of disaster,” he said.
Among the victims was county firefighter Roger Leslie Leatherman, struck while responding to an emergency call.
“Total devastation – uprooted trees, homes levelled. Words can’t capture how bad it is,” London resident Kristen Mosley told the radio network, adding that her own house was spared.
In Missouri, five deaths and more than 30 injuries were reported in the greater St Louis area, where Mayor Cary Spencer said about 5,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Two additional storm-related fatalities were recorded elsewhere in the state and two in Virginia, according to the Associated Press.
Search and curfew
Emergency crews used dogs and drones to search flattened structures on Sunday, while authorities urged sightseers to stay out of impact zones. St Louis County imposed a 9 p.m.–6 a.m. curfew, citing downed power lines and looting concerns.
The National Weather Service said preliminary data indicated multiple EF-3 tornadoes, with winds up to 230 kph (145 mph), touched down late Saturday as a vigorous spring storm system swept the Midwest. More severe weather is forecast from Texas to Ohio through Monday.
Deadly season
U.S. tornado activity has spiked this spring; the Storm Prediction Center counts more than 500 twisters since 1 March, well above the five-year average. Climate scientists say a warming atmosphere can intensify thunderstorms, though linkage to individual tornado outbreaks is still under study.
President Donald Trump spoke with Beshear and Missouri Governor Mike Parson, the White House said, promising federal disaster relief once damage assessments are complete.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24, NPR, AP News, RMF24