Fresh storms tore across the US Southeast Monday, killing at least two people in Alabama and threatening millions of people a day after tornadoes killed 17 and ripped up homes in nearby states.
Several tornadoes cut across northern Alabama on Monday, NBC News reported. At least two people were killed in the town of Athens, the network said.
A tornado also swept through the northern Mississippi city of Tupelo around 2.30 pm (1930 GMT), the National Weather Service said, adding that a crew was en route to survey damage.
Parts of Alabama were also at high risk of severe storms, with a moderate risk affecting portions of Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi as the system traveled east, with numerous tornadoes expected.
The National Weather Service said more than 49 million people living in the watch areas were threatened by the storms, upwards of 1.4 million of them in high-risk areas.
In the hardest-hit parts of Arkansas, emergency crews intensified their search for survivors of Sunday's twisters, as residents of the close-knit community of Vilonia surveyed the damage.
Dozens of Arkansas National Guard troops were assisting local authorities with medical evacuations, fresh water deliveries and search and rescue operations.
Vilonia police chief Brad McNew said the town of 4,000 had been rendered unrecognizable.
"It's houses completely down to the foundations," he told NBC television.
Through the night, rescuers used searchlights in blacked-out areas, sifting through mountains of rubble in the hopes of finding someone alive.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said 14 people had been killed in the state -- an earlier figure of 15 was revised as one victim was counted twice -- while an official in Oklahoma state said there were at least two tornado victims there.
Local media reported another fatality in the state of Iowa.
McNew said more would have been killed if not for emergency sirens that warned people the twister was about to hit.
"I went to a tornado shelter myself with my family which was a couple miles away from where we were at. A lot of people in the community were there. And so, it did work," he said.
"If you see the destruction that is here, even though we've lost some lives, there are many lives that was saved because of the storm warnings."
Vilonia was struck three years ago by a tornado that took almost the same path, but Sunday's twister was "a lot worse," McNew said.
Twisters also devastated large sections of the town of Mayflower, population 2,300, just northwest of the Arkansas state capital, Little Rock.
'Your country will be there'
The National Weather Service warned that some of the new group of tornadoes could be "intense," with "very large hail and damaging straight line winds" also likely.
Forecasters warned the twisters would continue to threaten the central and southern United States through Tuesday, and said powerful thunderstorms and severe flooding were also possible.
Speaking in the Philippine capital Manila during an Asian tour, US President Barack Obama offered condolences and promised federal government aid.
"I want everybody to know that your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes," he said.
The White House said Obama called Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe to offer federal assistance.
Sunday's tornado crushed large trucks like empty cans, homes were violently ripped in half, and entire residential blocks were reduced to rubble.
Some homes were uprooted from their foundations. In Iowa, the tornado also dumped heavy rain, snapped trees and lifted the roof off a medical center in the town of Oskaloosa.
Dozens of homes were also reported destroyed in nearby Kansas, although officials so far have reported no fatalities there.
AFP
Tue Apr 29 2014
Damage shows the path of tornado through Oklahoma on Monday, April 28, 2014. -AP Photo
ARC 2024: Skuad Bunga Raya akur kehebatan Hong Kong
Skuad ragbi Bunga Raya 15 sebelah (15's) negara mengalami kekalahan besar buat kali kedua berturut-turut pada saingan ARC 2024 selepas tumbang kepada Hong Kong.
Kerajaan sedang sediakan Agenda Negara Menua - Nancy
Kerajaan sedang menyediakan Agenda Negara Menua yang menumpukan kepada rancangan pembangunan sosioekonomi jangka sederhana dan panjang.
AirAsia tawar 10 juta tempat duduk promosi ke lebih 130 destinasi bermula hari ini
AirAsia kembali menawarkan kempen Tempat Duduk PERCUMA dengan 10 juta tempat duduk promosi untuk terus menyokong industri pelancongan.
Wartawan hiburan veteran, Huzz, meninggal dunia pada usia 58 tahun
Bekas wartawan yang lebih mesra dikenali dengan nama pena Huzz itu meninggal dunia pada usia 58 tahun.
PRK Sungai Bakap: Calon PN diumum 16 Jun ini - Tuan Ibrahim
Calon mewakili Perikatan Nasional pada Pilihan Raya Kecil Sungai Bakap akan diumumkan pada 16 Jun ini.
TPM New Zealand kagum reka bentuk, kemudahan Masjid Negara
Timbalan Perdana Menteri New Zealand, Winston Peters terpesona dengan reka bentuk dan kemudahan yang terdapat di Masjid Negara di sini.
Pekerja akademik di UC diarah hentikan mogok Pro Palestin
Pekerja akademik di Universiti California (UC), Amerika Syarikat diarah menghentikan mogok dan protes Pro Palestin buat sementara waktu.
KKM tambah 9 lokaliti baharu pelepasan nyamuk 'berwolbachia' tahun ini
Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) akan menambah sembilan lagi lokaliti bagi projek pelepasan nyamuk Aedes 'BerWolbachia' melibatkan beberapa negeri di Semenanjung.
Zoo di Mexico City hidang makanan berbentuk popsicle kepada haiwan
Sebagai usaha mengatasi gelombang panas, sebuah zoo di Mexico City, Mexico bertindak menghidangkan makanan dalam bentuk popsicle kepada haiwan yang dipelihara di sana.
Sydney dilanda banjir akibat hujan lebat berterusan
Hujan lebat berterusan menyebabkan banjir besar di Sydney, Australia. Pihak berkuasa kecemasan negara itu berkata, setakat ini 13 operasi menyelamat digerakkan selepas menerima 297 panggilan kecemasan daripada penduduk di kawasan terjejas.
Helikopter bawa pesakit terhempas di AS, dua terbunuh
Sebuah helikopter perubatan terhempas di timur laut di Shelby County, Alabama di selatan Amerika Syarikat pada Ahad yang mengorbankan dua anak kapal.
Bapa dan anak saling berbunuhan selepas berbalah tentang anjing peliharaan
Perbalahan terjadi di antara mereka berdua sebelum si ayah menembak kaki anaknya selepas mendengar pengakuan lelaki itu.
Bekas senator AS antara yang ditangkap kerana cuba menconteng jalan
Ini adalah kali kedua ahli kumpulan itu ditangkap.
Kucing yang suka merayau lebih berisiko terdedah penyakit - Kajian
Jika membiarkan kucing berlegar di luar rumah, risiko untuk kucing itu mendapat penyakit adalah lebih tinggi.
23 maut puting beliung landa Alabama
Sekurang-kurangnya 23 orang maut selepas puting beliung melanda seluruh Lee County di Alabama, Amerika Syarikat pada Ahad.
Polis salah tembak, penyerang sebenar Alabama masih bebas
Sekurang-kurangnya seorang suspek masih bebas apabila pihak polis tersilap menembak mati seorang lelaki dalam kejadian tembakan pada Black Friday.
'Rasakan ciuman maut terakhir', pesakit HIV ludah jururawat
Seorang pesakit HIV dikatakan meludah kepada jururawat bertugas di sebuah Hospital di Alabama, Amerika Syarikat baru-baru ini.
Pemilik dan model laman web lucah mati dibunuh suami
Kathleen atau nama berahinya Kitty Kat West juga merupakan salah seorang ahli kepada sebuah kelab yang ditubuhkan di laman Facebook, The Cougar Club.
Keluarga Muslim dakwa McDonald's Alabama sengaja sembunyi bakon dalam burger
Seorang keluarga Muslim mendakwa kakitangan restoran makanan ringan, McDonald's sengaja menyembunyikan bacon (kepingan daging khinzir) dalam semua makanan mereka.
Muhyiddin tiba untuk lawatan kerja ke Alabama
Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tiba di sini pada Rabu malam untuk lawatan kerja dua hari ke Alabama.