At least 27 people were killed and dozens more injured on Saturday as tornadoes and powerful storms tore through the central United States, according to officials.

Local media footage showed widespread devastation, including roofs ripped off homes and large trucks overturned. Forecasters warned that more tornadoes are likely to strike over the weekend.

In Kansas, eight people died in a massive crash involving over 50 vehicles, triggered by low visibility during a severe dust storm, local police reported.

Meanwhile, the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed 12 storm-related deaths and shared images of boats stacked atop one another at a marina destroyed by the extreme weather.

Authorities also reported extensive damage across Missouri, including downed trees and power lines, and buildings ravaged by tornadoes, thunderstorms, and large hail.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through. It happened so fast—our ears felt like they were going to burst,” Alicia Wilson, a Missouri resident who was evacuated from her home, told local station KSDK.

In Missouri, fatalities included six in Wayne County, three in Ozark County—where multiple injuries were also reported—and one each in Butler, Jefferson, and St. Louis counties, officials said.

Further south in Texas, four people were killed in vehicle accidents linked to dust storms and wildfires that drastically reduced visibility, local authorities told AFP.

In neighboring Arkansas, officials confirmed three deaths and 29 injuries due to the storms. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and stated that she had spoken with former President Donald Trump.

“He said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them, and he and his administration are ready to help with whatever is needed following last night’s tornadoes,” Sanders posted on X.

As of Saturday evening, more than 200,000 homes and businesses across the central United States were without power, according to tracking service poweroutage.us.

The National Weather Service warned of further tornadoes in parts of the Gulf Coast, including Mississippi and Tennessee.

"Numerous significant tornadoes, some potentially long-track and violent, are expected to continue into this evening," the agency said in a statement.

Tornadoes are rotating columns of air that extend from cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds to the ground. The central and southern states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas—known as "Tornado Alley"—see the highest frequency and intensity due to unique meteorological and geographic conditions. Most tornadoes in the region occur between May and June.

In 2024 alone, 54 people have died in tornado-related incidents across the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.