Whole neighbourhoods were destroyed by the tornado
As many as 30 people are reported killed after a tornado tore through the city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri, officials say.
The town suffered a "direct hit" from the tornado and parts of the city have been devastated, local media says.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and warned more storms are on the way.
Last month, tornadoes and storms killed at least 350 people in Alabama and six other southern states.
John Miller, a freelance photographer for the Springfield News-Leader newspaper, described widespread damage in Joplin.
"The Home Depot is levelled. The Walmart is destroyed. Gas stations, buildings. Everywhere I could see was either heavily damaged or completely destroyed," he said.
"I saw firefighters and paramedics pull a young girl out of a car at the Home Depot. Part of the building had fallen on the car."