Tornadoes and fires feared as deadly storm sweeps across US

At least 17 people have been killed.

At least 17 people have been killed in a monster storm sweeping across much of the US.

Eleven people were killed in Missouri after a tornado outbreak, the Missouri State Highway patrol said.

The agency said multiple people were also injured.

Satellite image of the storm — Satellite images showed the monster storm building (NOAA via AP)

Sixteen counties across the state have reported damage to homes and businesses as well as downed power lines and trees, the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on X: “We have teams out surveying the damage from last night’s tornadoes and have first responders on the ground to assist.

“In the meantime, I just released $250,000 from our Disaster Recovery fund to provide resources for this operation for each of the impacted communities.”

Authorities said on Friday that three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.

Overturned trailer — Traffic was at risk in Oklahoma (Oklahoma Highway Patrol via AP)

Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County said of the scene that confronted rescuers: “It was unrecognisable as a home. Just a debris field.

“The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”

Rescuers managed to save a woman in the home, Mr Akers said.

The deaths come as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.

Extreme weather conditions – including hurricane-force winds – are forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people.

Winds gusting up to 80mph were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier areas to the south.

Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state.

More than 200 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Oklahoma due to fire, Governor Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference. Some 266 square miles (about 69 hectares) have burned so far in his state.

Experts say it is not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.

Debris covers the road during a severe storm passed the area north of Seymour, Missouri — Debris covered the road during a severe storm in Seymour, Missouri (Trooper Austin James/Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP)

“And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area.”

The Storm Prediction Centre said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100mph possible.

The centre said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk.

Fire crews from Coyle, Oklahoma, battle a wildfire — Wildfires were tackled in Oklahoma (AP)

Wildfires in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds, and evacuations were ordered on Friday for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.

The US National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early on Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3-6in were expected, with up to a foot possible.

Winds gusting to 60mph were expected to cause whiteout conditions.