At least 17 people have been killed in a monster storm sweeping across much of the U.S. The most fatalities as of Saturday afternoon were in Missouri.

A powerful storm system roared across the Midwest and South Friday night, unleashing a series of tornadoes that carved paths of destruction and left at least three dead in Missouri.

By Rich McKay ATLANTA (Reuters) -At least 14 people were killed in Arkansas and Missouri as a series of tornadoes hit the U.S. Midwest and Southeast overnight, raking a path of destruction that was still being assessed on Saturday,

Large and destructive tornadoes are carving paths of destruction across the South for the second day in a row.

At least 19 people have died in the US - including 11 in Missouri alone - after deadly tornadoes tore through several south-eastern states, flipping cars and flattening homes. Three people were killed in a car crash during a fierce dust storm in Texas, while deaths have also occurred in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Three people were killed in Missouri as a series of tornadoes hit the U.S. Midwest and southeast overnight, raking a path of destruction that was still being assessed early on Saturday, police said.