At least 17 people have died as an outbreak of tornadoes ravished through the South and Midwest early Saturday morning, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

The meteorological agency said: "If you live in these areas, get to the sturdiest structure you have access to and remain in place until the storms pass." Mike Kehoe, governor of Missouri - where the 11 deaths were reported across four south-easterly counties - said the state had been "devastated by severe storms and tornadoes,