Death toll rises, multiple injuries after tornadoes hit U.S.
After powerful storms ripped through parts of the southern U.S. Saturday, with fatalities reported, accounts of more injuries and damage have surfaced.
Communities across the southern U.S. are continuing to assess the damage and number of fatalities following a significant severe weather outbreak that originated in east Texas Saturday.
The death toll continues to rise and now includes at least seven, as reported by CNN Sunday evening.
The latest figure includes a Texas woman whose mobile home was destroyed Saturday night. Four other people were injured when the trailer was struck, Houston County Emergency Management Co-ordinator Roger Dickey told CNN.
The Alto Police Department also confirmed the death of a woman injured last night at Caddo Mounds. At least 25 people were injured in the area and were transported to hospitals, according to CNN.
A preliminary damage survey showed an EF3 tornado, with winds up to 140 mph (about 225 km/h) touched down in Robertson County, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth stated.
Previously reported were the deaths of two children, aged 3 and 8, in east Texas. They were crushed when a tree fell on the vehicle they were travelling in. In Mississippi's Monroe County, one person died overnight after a tornado strike, according to ABC News.
In Louisiana, a 13-year-old boy drowned in a drainage basin, with officials telling CNN the death is considered storm-related.
The severe storms hit several states and include 18 tornado reports, ranging from east Texas through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The storms left behind a trail of destruction, with reports of numerous damaged or destroyed homes, while dozens of people were hospitalized.
WATCH BELOW: TEXAS MAN DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED WHEN A TORNADO HIT HIS HOME
At least 25 people were hospitalized after one tornado struck a historic site while an event was ongoing. One Texas community, Alto, saw two tornadoes within 90 minutes, and the roof of a school gym in the town was ripped off, according to the Weather Channel.
The severe weather risk moved eastward into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Sunday, with a second day of elevated tornado risk, as well.
Almost 100 million people live in the zone identified by forecasters as at enhanced or slight risk of severe weather, and severe storms had already sparked by the early morning hours Sunday.
Below is a collection of images from the states affected by the storms. Check back for updates.
