Washington, Mar. 16, (dpa/GNA) – Severe storms swept across the southern and midwestern United States over the weekend, killing at least 34 people, including 12 in the state of Missouri and injuring dozens more.

Tornado watches are currently in effect for parts of Florida, Georgia and five other states until Sunday afternoon.

The US weather service warns that more severe weather is expected to hit parts of the East Coast on Sunday.

Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and urged residents to prepare. Residents in high-risk areas were advised to seek shelter in buildings with underground protection and to avoid mobile homes.

The storms began on Friday. A total of more than 40 tornadoes were recorded in eight states – Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama and Indiana.

Residents fled in their cars as dust storm fronts approached, causing pile-ups involving dozens of vehicles. In Kansas, 50 vehicles collided in a series of accidents on Saturday, killing at least eight people.

In many areas, the storms has not only destroyed homes and cars, but also knocked out power. The US website PowerOutage reported more than 230,000 affected households in five states on Sunday.

The strong winds have also fanned existing wildfires. In Oklahoma alone, hundreds of fires are reported to have broken out, affecting 170,000 hectares.

GNA