Videos posted to social media showed the widespread destruction left in the wake of tornadoes that swept through several midwestern and southern states late Friday and early Saturday.
The death toll from the storms could top 100, with many more suffering injuries, officials warned.
The storm left a trail of devastation in its path, wiping out many homes and commercial buildings in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Dramatic videos and photographs stemmed from Mayfield, Kentucky, where a tornado leveled several buildings.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear feared that the death toll across the state could exceed 100. So far, at least 70 people have been found dead, according to the Associated Press.
"This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history," Beshear said.
Kentucky State Senator Whitney Westerfield posted footage showing Mayfield's courthouse destroyed by the storms. "Damage to the courthouse in downtown Mayfield is much worse than photos could show in the middle of the night," he wrote.
Journalist Travis Ragsdale shared drone footage showing many buildings in Mayfield completely destroyed by the storms.
KFVS-TV news posted video of a local candle company, where a roof collapsed, resulting in mass casualties, according to Beshear. He warned that there were about 110 people in the building at the time, and that authorities anticipate dozens could die.
"It's very hard, really tough, and we're praying for each and every one of those families," he said.
Meanwhile in Illinois, videos showed the extent of damage at an Amazon warehouse that suffered a partial collapse during the tornado in Edwardsville. Several workers in the building were trapped.
The City of Edwardsville confirmed to Newsweek earlier Saturday that there were fatalities at the cite.
One video posted by KTVI-TV showed the significant damage.
Other drone footage offered an aerial view of the devastation.
Video also captured the extensive damage to a nursing home in Monette, Arkansas. One person died and five others suffered serious injuries when the tornado struck the home.
In Missouri, at least person one was killed while others were injured in building collapses in the towns of Defiance and New Melle. Video posted by journalist Caroline Hecker showed where two homes were torn from their foundation in Defiance.
Twitter user Daniel Hannaman posted video showing damage in Kenton, Tennessee, including damaged homes and downed trees. He wrote: "My home growing up. Literally one street over from my grandparents."
At least three people in Tennessee died during the storms and more than 86,000 were left without power, The Tennessean reported.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more