Over 30 tornadoes rip through 6 US states, wreaking deadly havoc

"Last night was one of the most shocking weather events in my 40 years as a meteorologist -- a violent tornado (in December!) drawing comparisons to the deadliest and longest-tracking tornado in US history," tweets Jeff Masters.

NEW YORK -- Search and rescue teams in western Kentucky and nearby states were combing through rubble for survivors on Sunday after a series of tornadoes ripped through the region, killing at least dozens, while the number of deaths in Kentucky alone could exceed 100, The Wall Street Journal quoted state officials as saying.

The tornadoes tore through states including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, said Bill Bunting, the operations chief at the Storm Prediction Center. The New York Times (NYT) quoted officials as warning that the toll, now 80 in Kentucky alone, was almost certain to rise as the sifting continued on Sunday.

The tornadoes were part of a weather system that was wreaking havoc in many parts of the United States, causing substantial snowfall across parts of the upper Midwest and western Great Lakes. State officials were still assessing the extent of the damage. Power outage has affected at least 77,000 customers in Kentucky and 53,000 in Tennessee.

The National Weather Service has issued several tornado watches and warnings overnight for parts of the Midwest, including Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas advised residents to stay on alert, as severe weather remains a threat in the southeast United States.