In the United States, the death toll has risen to 22 after powerful tornadoes struck Lee County in eastern Alabama.

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said, several people have been hospitalised, some with very serious injuries. He said the toll could rise as the rescue efforts had to stop until dawn due to the danger of searching in the dark. The Sheriff described the damage caused by the storm as catastrophic.

The violent storms left debris was strewn across southern Alabama and Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and into parts of South Carolina. More than 42,000 homes and businesses lost electricity in Georgia and Alabama.

The severe storms destroyed mobile homes, snapped trees and left a trail of destruction. The National Weather Service classified the tornado as EF-3 rating with winds up to 266km per hour and was a half-mile wide or more.