At least 13 people had died and two children were missing late Sunday as a result of tornadoes and flooding in the South and Midwest, brought by a storm that also dumped a rare late-season blizzard in western Kansas.

Tornadoes hit several small towns in East Texas, killing four people. Three people were killed by flooding and winds in Arkansas, with officials saying two more people are missing. Rushing water swept away a car, drowning a woman in Missouri; and a death was reported in Sunday morning storms that raked Mississippi.

Flooding closed part of Interstate 44 near Hazelgreen, Missouri, and officials expected it would be at least a day before the highway reopened. Interstate 70 in western Kansas was closed because crews were waiting for snow falling at 3 to 4 inches an hour being blown by 35 mph winds to subside.

An Arkansas volunteer fire department chief was killed while working during storms in north-central Arkansas, state police said.

Cove Creek/Pearson Fire Chief Doug Decker died shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while checking water levels on Highway 25 near Quitman, about 40 miles north of Little Rock, Trooper Liz Chapman said. It wasn't known if he will be included as a storm-related death, she said.

A 2-year-old girl in Tennessee died after being struck by a heavy, metal soccer goal post that was blown over by high winds, The Metro Nashville Police Department posted on its Twitter page on Sunday evening.

Melanie Espinoza Rodriguez was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to a second post from the department.

Middle Tennessee was hit by a strong line of storms that knocked down trees and power lines earlier Sunday.

Rescuers in northwest Arkansas continued Sunday to look for an 18-month-old girl and a 4-year-old boy who were in a vehicle swept off a bridge by floodwaters in Hindsville, the Madison County Sheriff's Office said.

In northwest Arkansas, a 10-year-old girl drowned in Springdale and the body of a woman who disappeared riding an inner tube Saturday was found in a creek in Eureka Springs. Also, a 65-year-old woman in DeWitt in the eastern part of the state was struck and killed in her home by a falling tree, officials said.

In Texas, search teams were going door to door Sunday after the tornadoes the day before flattened homes, uprooted trees and flipped several pickup trucks at a Dodge dealership in Canton.

"It is heartbreaking and upsetting to say the least," Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett told reporters at a news conference Sunday morning.

The storms cut a path of destruction 35 miles long and 15 miles wide in Van Zandt County, Everett said. The largely rural area is about 50 miles east of Dallas.

The National Weather Service found evidence of four tornadoes with one twister possibly on the ground for 50 miles.

The first reports of tornadoes came about 4:45 p.m. Saturday, but emergency crews were hampered by continuing severe weather, said Judge Don Kirkpatrick, the chief executive for Van Zandt County.

"We'd be out there working and get a report of another tornado on the ground," he said.

The storms rolled through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on Sunday with strong winds causing isolated pockets of damage. In Durant in central Mississippi on person died in the storms. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency didn't give details. Later Sunday the agency reported the death of a child from Rankin County, 20 miles east of Jackson, who died from electric shock in flood waters. The Rankin County Sherriff's Department reported that a 7-year-old boy had unplugged an electric golf cart and dropped the cord in water on the ground and was shocked.

Alexa Haik went to bed Saturday night expecting just rain, but heard the sirens Sunday morning and turned on the television to see the tornado warning. She rounded up her pets and hid in a hallway with her family, then was stunned to emerge to trees down all in her neighborhood in Clinton, Mississippi, about 20 miles west of Jackson.

A trip up the road showed how isolated the worst of the storms were. "I really thought when we got out of our neighborhood, there would be damage everywhere. But our little subdivision was the only one hit," Haik said.

Near Clever in southwestern Missouri, a man tried to save his 72-year-old wife from floodwaters that swept away their vehicle Saturday, but her body was found when the water receded, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

A second death from weekend flooding was announced Sunday by Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens but he did not release any details about the victim or the circumstances of the death.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> Tornadoes, storms kill nine in US South

A business damaged by tornadoes is seen in Canton, Texas, April 30, 2017. — Reuters pic

CANTON (Texas), May 1 — Tornadoes ripped through an East Texas county yesterday evening, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others, while high winds, falling trees and floods killed five others in neighboring states, according to news reports.

Three tornadoes were confirmed by the US National Weather Service in Canton, a city about 95km east of Dallas in Van Zandt County.

The winds flipped over cars, snapped trees, destroyed houses and left roads strewn with debris and fallen power lines, according to photographs and video published by the Dallas Morning News.

“We have at least four fatalities,” Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said at a news conference on Sunday, adding that number could rise.

“The damage was extensive in the affected area. It is heartbreaking and upsetting.”

Forty nine people had been treated for injuries, she said.

Earlier a Canton fire department captain said he believed five people had been killed.

The mayor urged people to stay away from a sprawling flea market known as First Monday Trade Days, as crews tried to clean up debris.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott deployed a search and rescue team to the area.

The storms caused floods in neighboring states, killing a 72-year-old woman in southwestern Missouri who was washed away in her car, according to local media reports.

In Arkansas, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her mobile home in DeWitt, and a 10-year-old girls was killed after flood waters swept her away in Springdale, ABC News reported.

A fire chief reponding to the storm was killed yesterday in Cleburne County, the county sheriff said.

In Mississippi, a person was killed after a tree fell on their house in Durant, ABC reported.

The governors of Missouri and Oklahoma declared states of emergency due to flooding.

In the St. Louis area, severe thunderstorms were forecast through yesterday.

Some people were told to evacuate and 33 rescues were conducted, mostly in the state’s central and southwestern regions, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens said.

Parts of Indiana received up to 20cm of rain while areas in Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas were drenched with up to 10cm, James said.

Heavy rainfall in the Midwest was expected to continue yesterday, along with wind gusts of 95kph.

Flash floods and strong thunderstorms were forecast for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama yesterday, the National Weather Service said. — Reuters </s> At least nine people have died after heavy storms and tornadoes hit parts of the United States, CNN TV channel reports.

At least three tornadoes hit the eastern part of Texas Saturday. Here at least five people died, and over 50 injured, according to local media.

In Missouri, an elderly woman was found dead after her car was taken off by floodwaters. The police in Arkansas state that a woman died on Saturday when a three hit her home. </s> • At least three children have been killed from the tornadoes and severe weather in the South.
• At least 18 tornadoes have been reported across the US South.
• All told, at least six people are dead and dozens have been injured.

Tornados have ripped through the US South, killing at least three children, according to Reuters.

Two of the deaths occurred in Texas while a third happened in Louisiana.

At least 18 tornadoes have been reported over the weekend across the US South, from Texas to Georgia. Storms are scheduled to move up along the East Coast, impacting over 100 million people. Reuters also reported almost 6,000 flights have been cancelled or delayed, with Chicago and Charlotte being the airports most impacted.

Here are some photos of the devastation left behind by the tornadoes thus far:

Tornadoes and severe weather have impacted people in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Georgia.

Two siblings, ages 3 and 8, were killed when a tree fell on their car.

A 13-year-old boy drowned after falling into a drainage ditch that was full of flash floodwaters in Louisiana.

All told, at least six people have died from the severe weather and dozens have been injured. </s> ST. LOUIS – Severe storms on Monday spawned tornadoes in the South, flooding in the Midwest and even a rare mid-spring snowstorm in the plains. At least 16 people died, and authorities are still searching for two children in Arkansas swept away by floodwaters and now presumed dead.

Parts of the U.S. Midwest and South braced for more flooding and possible tornadoes as storms rolled eastward in a band stretching from Alabama into the Ohio River valley.

Some areas of Missouri were drenched with up to 12 inches of rain over the weekend. Normally docile creeks swelled to dangerous levels, and river levels jumped. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency counted 143 water rescues statewide but acknowledged that countless others probably weren’t reported. Hundreds of people were evacuated,, a levee was topped in a rural area northwest of St. Louis, and a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44 was closed.

The Mississippi River was well above flood stage at several points, including Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where it is expected to crest later this week within a half-foot of the all-time record of 48.9 feet.

Near Cape Girardeau, residents of tiny Allenville were urged to evacuate, but many did not, even as the town was surrounded by water. The only way in or out was by boat.

More severe weather was expected in the South. A wind advisory was in effect in northwest Mississippi. Tornado warnings were issued for parts of southeastern Alabama and central Georgia Monday morning by the National Weather Service. Parts of the Florida Panhandle could be affected by severe thunderstorms or high winds and dangerous rip currents.

The confirmed death toll rose to 16. Flash floods in Missouri were blamed in the deaths of a 77-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman, whose husband desperately tried to save her before their car was swept away.

In Arkansas, six confirmed deaths didn’t include the two missing children who were inside a truck with their mother on Saturday when the vehicle was swept off a bridge near Hindsville, about 130 miles northwest of Little Rock. The body of a kayaker was recovered Monday, a day after he’d gone missing near Little Rock. A fire chief in Arkansas died when he was struck by a vehicle while working the storm. </s> Three children and woman killed in storms in southern US

Three children and woman killed in storms in southern US

Several people have been killed in storms in the southern US

At least four people have reportedly been killed, including three children, in powerful storms that hit the southern United States, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall.

A three-year-old and an eight-year-old died after a tree fell onto the back of their family car in Lufkin, Texas, NBC News said. Their parents who were in the front were uninjured,

In West Monroe, Louisiana, a 13-year-old boy drowned in a drainage canal in what officials believe was a weather-related incident, the report said.

Streets had been closed in the city and a flood warning was issued for the area.

A fourth person who died in the storms was a woman killed by weather-related debris near Weches in Houston County, Texas.

In Franklin, Texas, a tornado with winds up to 140mph overturned mobile homes and damaged other properties, injuring about a dozen people.

NBC quoted Robertson County emergency management coordinator Billy Huggins as saying: "A strip of homes on the other side of town over here are completely gone, just gone, everything is gone."

He added: "To this small town of Franklin, it's very devastating. How we're going to get people help to restore their homes that don't have insurance or what have you, it's going to be pretty difficult.

"It's going to be a little difficult putting it back together, but we'll do it."

There was also a suspected tornado in Alto, Texas, which injured several people.

The storms were part of a large system that was moving through the southern US, knocking out power to thousands of homes and causing some flash flooding.

The US weather service said the system was expected to shift to the Ohio Valley and the southeast US on Sunday.

More than 140,000 customers remained without power in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas late on Saturday. </s> More damage and casualties could be discovered Sunday after severe flooding and tornadoes killed at least seven people and injured dozens in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, authorities said.

At least three tornadoes touched down in east Texas, leaving five people dead, Van Zandt County officials said.

The body of a 72-year-old woman was recovered in southwestern Missouri after flood waters washed away her car.

Another woman died Saturday after a tree fell on her mobile home in De Witt, Arkansas, about 80 miles east of Little Rock, according to police.

Tornadoes ripping through north Texas left widespread destruction and more than 50 people injured, officials said.

More than 30 million Americans remain under flash flood watches and warnings Sunday as the storm moves eastward. It began hitting the southwest and Midwest states Friday.

Rainfall amounts of 4-6 inches were reported in Missouri and Texas, with some areas seeing up to 9 inches, the National Weather Service said.

Rainstorms began Friday around the state, bringing large amounts of rainfall and causing flooding, the weather service said.

A couple was left stranded in their car when flood waters began to rise in Christian County, officials said.

Despite the husband’s efforts to rescue his wife, their car was swept away with the 72-year-old woman inside. The woman’s body was found Saturday in a field near Clever, Missouri.

At least 150 roads, mostly in southern Missouri, were closed by flooding, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

A total of 93 evacuations and 33 water rescues were reported Saturday, Gov. Eric Greitens said.

“Our standing first responders are working to protect life and property in this storm. Grateful for their work. Stay home. Stay safe,” he wrote on Twitter.

At least three tornadoes touched down east of Dallas as severe storms moved through the area, the weather service said.

The storm struck around 7:20 p.m. ET and produced considerable damage about 60 miles east of Dallas in Van Zandt and Henderson counties, according to the weather service.

Five people were found dead, but county officials said the number may go up as search and rescue efforts continue.

At least 55 patients were taken to ETMC Regional Healthcare System, hospital spokeswoman Rebecca Berkley said. One was in critical condition, and the other patients’ injuries were not life-threatening.

Multiple ambulances were at the site of the tornadoes while the search and rescue efforts continued, Berkley said.

First responders from across the state continue to comb through overturned cars and the homes destroyed by the tornadoes.

Canton High School was used as a triage center, CNN affiliate KLTV tweeted.

A tornado could have crossed Interstate 20 in Canton, flipping vehicles in a dealership and damaging a building.

Campers and families attending First Monday Trade Days, one of the largest outdoor collectibles markets in the US, were forced to take shelter in bathrooms, CNN affiliate KLTV reported.

Preliminary reports show tornadoes touched down in several north Texas towns.

A team will survey the damage on Sunday to determine the intensity of the tornadoes. </s> Three tornadoes were confirmed by the U.S. National Weather Service in Canton, a city about 60 miles (95 km) east of Dallas in Van Zandt County.

Tornadoes ripped through an East Texas county on Saturday evening, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, while high winds, falling trees and floods killed five in neighboring states, according to news reports.

Three tornadoes were confirmed by the U.S. National Weather Service in Canton, a city about 60 miles (95 km) east of Dallas in Van Zandt County.

The winds flipped over cars, snapped trees, destroyed houses and left roads strewn with debris and fallen power lines, according to photographs and video published by the Dallas Morning News.

"We have at least four fatalities," Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said at a news conference on Sunday, adding that number could rise. "The damage was extensive in the affected area. It is heartbreaking and upsetting." Forty-nine people had been treated for injuries, she said.

Earlier a Canton fire department captain said he believed five people had been killed.

The mayor urged people to stay away from a sprawling flea market known as First Monday Trade Days, as crews tried to clean up debris.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a search and rescue team to the area.

The storms caused floods in neighboring states, killing a 72-year-old woman in southwestern Missouri who was washed away in her car, according to local media reports.

In Arkansas, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her mobile home in DeWitt, and a 10-year-old girl was killed after flood waters swept her away in Springdale, ABC News reported. A fire chief responding to the storm was killed on Sunday in Cleburne County, the county sheriff said

At least two other people reportedly died in storm-related incidents, while two children were missing after their mother’s car was swept from a road by floodwaters in Madison County. As many as 100,000 homes and businesses lost power, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency on Sunday night.

In Mississippi, a person was killed after a tree fell on their house in Durant, ABC reported. The governors of Missouri and Oklahoma declared states of emergency.

In the St. Louis area, severe thunderstorms were forecast through Sunday. Some people were told to evacuate and 33 rescues were conducted, mostly in the state's central and southwestern regions, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said. </s> Multiple deaths are reported and numbers could rise Sunday after tornadoes and floods ripped through the Midwest and Texas on Saturday. Multiple fatalities reported as floods, tornadoes hit Midwest, Texas Multiple deaths are reported and numbers could rise Sunday after tornadoes and floods ripped through the Midwest and Texas on Saturday.

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The death tolls from tornadoes and floods in the midwestern and southern United States rises to ten with two people missing.