The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a tornado watch to 24 million people in seven states after 328 twisters were reported in the US in 12 days.
Residents in parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland have issued a watch that is valid until 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, according to CNN.
The watch affects almost 12 million people, more than 3,000 schools and more than 200 hospitals.
Predictors said that residents in the affected areas are likely to see hail that can reach the size of apples and that people can see gusts of wind up to 70 mph.
On Tuesday, the US exceeded its record of 11 consecutive days with at least eight tornadoes on each of those days, according to Patrick Marsh, meteorologist warning coordinator for the federal Storm Prediction Center. The previous 11-day strip of at least eight tornadoes per day ended on June 7, 1980.
& # 39; We get a lot on a lot of these days these days and that is certainly unusual, & # 39; said Marsh.
The National Weather Service (NWS) had already received at least 27 notifications from tornadoes on Tuesday. There have been 934 tornado reports so far this year, against the annual average of 743 observed tornado's.
More than 500 of these reports have arrived in the last 30 days. The actual number is probably lower, because some of the reports are probably from different witnesses who recognize the same twister.
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More than 300 tornadoes have been reported in the US in just 12 days (photo) and forecasters have warned that the violent weather will return next week. There have been 934 tornado reports so far this year, against the annual average of 743 observed tornado's. More than 500 of these reports came in the last 30 days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)
On Tuesday, the US exceeded its record of 11 consecutive days with at least eight tornadoes on each of those days, according to weather experts. The previous 11-day strip of at least eight tornadoes per day ended June 7, 1980. This house was destroyed on Tuesday night after a tornado was torn by Lawrence, Kansas
The storms targeted Kansas, as several twisters reportedly hit Tuesday night, destroyed homes, uprooted trees, and rushed high-voltage lines. An uprooted tree is seen in Linwood, Kansas
Homes damaged by a tornado are seen in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday after powerful tornadoes ripped through the state Monday night
The Northridge Mall on the North Dixie Highway in Dayton, Ohio, is in ruins after a tornado has hit the area
Debris from damaged homes contaminates property on Fairground Road after a tornado storm system has passed through Celina, Ohio
The deadly wave of weather has already killed one and injured hundreds more. And according to Marsh, the tornadoes and heavy rain showers that cross the US from the southern plains to New Jersey will disappear by the end of Thursday, but the volatile weather is not over yet.
& # 39; What we can see next week is a transition, & # 39; Marsh told DailyMail.com, adding that certain states may be hit by a huge cluster of thunderstorms capable of producing strong winds and torrential rains, but & # 39; it's too early to tell & # 39; .
And although the extreme weather conditions brought some serious phenomena, including hailstones and some unusual cloud formations, Marsh said: "We cannot somehow explain definitively how climate change can cause heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes". caused. & # 39;
Rain, hail, thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes will return in East Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and further to Illinois and parts of the east coast, David Roth, a predictor at the NWS, said early on Wednesday.
& # 39; You cannot take a break, & # 39; said Roth. & # 39; Or not for long. It will clean up Friday, Saturday and Sunday. & # 39;
Provinces in Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were plagued by the barrage of gusts and powerful storms on Monday evening.
The storms then turned to Kansas, as various twisters reportedly hit Tuesday night.
About 20 tornadoes, including a large rain-packed twister near Kansas City, were reported to the NWS by storm fighters and spotters.
Roofs were torn off and houses and roads were littered with rubble and tree branches.
At least 12 people were injured in an apparent twister on the outskirts of Lawrence, Kansas.
Meanwhile, New Jersey and New York City were also forced to brace themselves for the impact on Tuesday evening.
& # 39; We are flirting in unknown territory & # 39 ;, said Dr. James Marsh of the Federal Storm Forecast Center about the prospect of a rush on a never before seen twelfth day.
& # 39; Normally you would see a break of a day or two between these long stretches, but we don't get that now. & # 39;
A total of 53 suspected tornadoes touched Monday in eight states. An online overview of storm reports posted by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, showed that 14 suspected tornadoes arrived in Indiana, 10 in Colorado and nine in Ohio.
Six suspected tornadoes were reported in Iowa, five in Nebraska, four in Illinois, three in Minnesota and one in Idaho.
All 77 provinces in Oklahoma are still in a state of emergency.
At least a dozen homes were destroyed or damaged in Linwood, Kansas, about 30 miles west of Kansas City
This house almost crashed after the whirlwind that crashed in Linwood, Kansas
New Jersey: possible tornado damage
Also included in the east coast tornado warnings were parts of northeastern New Jersey, including Hudson County, Union County and Southern Essex County.
The NWS announced that one of its spotters reported that it saw a funnel cloud at the base of a rotating thunderstorm in Mendham.
In Sussex County, emergency crews were called to the Lenape Valley Regional High School to report that there was & # 39; possible tornado damage & # 39; was through which the structure of the building was searched. Civil servants also responded to widespread power cuts and lowered trees.
From Wednesday morning, more than 2,900 people were without power in New Jersey.
When 50 to 100 people were in the school, they attended an evening dinner in the canteen when the storm struck.
Two people were injured during the ordeal after a tree reportedly fell on a vehicle. The couple suffered only minor injuries and no one was taken to the hospital, a representative of the local sheriff office said.
Others attending the event hid in the gymnasium until the emergency officials told them it was safe to leave.
The campus had & # 39; substantial cables down and uprooted trees & # 39; with less damage to the front of the building, Chief Inspector Paul DiRupo told NJLive.
The school will remain closed on Wednesday because researchers will inspect the full extent of the damage.
So far, officials have not yet confirmed whether a tornado has struck the area.
New Jersey (damage depicted in Stanhope) and New York City were also forced to brace themselves for the clash on Tuesday evening
The NWS announced that one of its spotters indicated to see a funnel cloud at the foot of a rotating thunderstorm (officers depicted in Stanhope)
In Sussex County, emergency officials were called to the Lenape Valley Regional High School (photo) for reports on & # 39; possible tornado damage & # 39; who broke the structure of the building.
The facade is damaged at the entrance to the Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope, New Jersey. The school remained closed on Wednesday
Civil servants also responded to widespread power cuts and lowered trees. From Wednesday morning, more than 2,900 people were without power in New Jersey
Fallen trees damage vehicles in Hopatcong, New Jersey, where a possible tornado was reported Tuesday morning
Provinces in Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were already plagued by the barrage of gusts of wind and powerful storms that traveled northeast to New York and New Jersey.
New York City: severe thunderstorm warnings
Late Tuesday evening, the NWS published tornado warnings for various counties around Manhattan, and spurred them on the path of the & # 39; dangerous & # 39; storm to stay inside.
The service said strong winds and possible sudden floods could result from the storm, along with a chance of a hail & # 39; the size of quarters & # 39; falling from the sky.
More than a million residents of Staten Island and the larger subway were under a tornado watch.
# Flying debris will be dangerous for those caught without shelter. Mobile homes are damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely, "NWS said in a statement on Tuesday.
& # 39; This Tornado warning replaces the severe thunderstorm warning issued for the same area & # 39 ;, the service added.
All flights from the city's LaGuardia airport were also justified due to the incoming storms. Although the airport is in Queens – which was not included in the warning – all flights were stopped as a precaution.
Despite the warnings and a frightening storm, a tornado has never taken place in New York.
Lightning attacks next to the One World Trade Center in central New York shortly after the tornado warnings were issued in various counties around Manhattan on Tuesday night
More than a million residents on Staten Island and the larger subway were under a tornado watch on Tuesday night
Pennsylvania: large clumps of hail and floods
Almost full Pennsylvania was also put on tornado on Tuesday, when powerful storms invaded the area from the Midwest.
The extreme recalculation brought with it a number of serious phenomena, including hail stones the size of golf balls, flooding and a number of unusual cloud formations.
Hail was captured in large groves over Lake Winola, with other surrounding areas, including Lancaster County and Schuylkill County, reportedly also affected.
A frightening tornado was observed on the ground in Berks County, near Reading.
Meanwhile, a funnel cloud – the core of a tornado – was documented swirling in formation above the sky of West Nantmeal Township in Chester County.
Business owners and employees assess flood damage during their cleanup on Wednesday in Harmony, Pennsylvania. More storms are predicted for the area
Workers wade through flood water to reclaim wood that ran from a timber trade in Harmony, Pennsylvania
An entire street in Harmony, Pennsylvania, will be flooded as residents start cleaning up in the area on Wednesday
Hail was captured in large groves over Lake Winola, with other surrounding areas, including Lancaster County and Schuylkill County, reportedly also affected
Brenda Frederick, a resident of Pennsylvania, could not believe the size of the hailstones in her back yard, with the comment & # 39; Holy Hail, Batman & # 39;
Kansas: At least one dead and 12 injured after & # 39; major & # 39; tornado
A large and dangerous tornado hit the west side of Kansas City, Kansas, around eight o'clock Tuesday, the NWS reported.
In Leavenworth, Kansas, a 68-year-old woman died on Tuesday after a tree fell into her home.
At least a dozen people were hospitalized in Lawrence, 40 miles west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the University of Kansas, said the hospital spokesman, Janice Early.
Damage was also reported in the cities of Linwood, Bonner Springs and Pleasant Grove.
But the metropolitan area of Kansas City of about 2.1 million people seemed to have been spared the hit that was feared earlier in the evening when the weather service announced a tornado emergency.
Residents were forced to shelter when the storm moved east across the heart of the metropolitan area and to the Missouri border.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff & # 39; s Department, six people were taken to Lawrence Hospital with injuries during the storm, including one with serious injuries, and five were reportedly transferred to other emergency departments.
A large and dangerous tornado hit the west side of Kansas City, Kansas, around eight o'clock Tuesday, the NWS reported. A man and a woman are seen inspecting the damage to their home and classic cars after being hit by a tornado in Lawrence, Kansas
At least a dozen people were admitted to the hospital in Lawrence, Kansas, said the spokesman for the hospital, Janice Early. Joe Armison looks at the damage to his house after a tornado was struck in the suburbs of Eudora, Kansas
Armison & # 39; s barn was also destroyed after the tornado hit the outer edge of Eudora, Kansas on Tuesday
Authorities said that & # 39; different houses throughout the province & # 39; suffered considerable damage. Power lines and trees were also knocked down, as well as debris that blocked many of the provincial roads.
Kansas City International Airport officials suspended flights and moved stranded customers from the terminals to parking garage tunnels to await the storms and tornadoes.
They stayed in the tunnels for more than an hour before the referees had given them everything to return to the terminals.
However, the storm left a lot of debris behind at the airport and caused serious delays, the airport revealed on Twitter.
& # 39; Airport / airport still closed for aircraft due to unsafe conditions from area debris & # 39 ;, an official tweeted at 10 p.m.
& # 39; Small pieces can damage aircraft. Crews working on clearing a 2-mile 150-meter-wide runway, taxiways and platforms. Estimated opening after 11 p.m. & # 39;
High-voltage lines and trees were knocked down, as well as debris that blocked many of the provincial roads. The sheriff's office said that & # 39; different houses throughout the county & # 39; suffered considerable damage
Residents were forced to shelter when the storm moved east over the heart of the metropolitan area and to the Missouri border
In a later post, the airport announced that it also carried out checks on their parking places to assess possible damage to customer cars. Although there are no damaged vehicles & # 39; from 11:00 pm & # 39; were reported.
Mark Duffin, 48, learned from his wife and a television report that the big tornado was on its way to his home in Linwood, about 30 miles west of Kansas City.
The next thing he knew was that the walls of his house were coming down.
Duffin told the Kansas City Star that he grabbed a mattress, followed his 13-year-old to the basement, and protected the two with the mattress as the house crashed around them.
& # 39; I'm just glad I found my two dogs alive & # 39 ;, he said. & # 39; Woman lives, family lives, I live. So that's it. & # 39;
The wind pulled away roofs – leaving homes like gigantic dolls – knocking houses off their foundations, knocking down trees, knocking down power lines and so much debris that it was visible on the radar.
& # 39; The most structural damage appears to have occurred in the Lawrence area when the tornado passed just outside the city boundary & # 39 ;, Lawrence police said in a tweet.
The deadly wave of the weather has already killed one and injured hundreds more, but the slurry of volatile weather shows no signs of delay in the short term (photo: Tornado & # 39; s hit on Tuesday in Kansas)
Mark Duffin, 48, learned from his wife and a television report that the big tornado had left for his home in Linwood (pictured above), about 30 miles west of Kansas City; the next thing he knew, the walls of his house were coming down
Ohio: One dead and more than 130 people injured by & # 39; rapid fire & # 39; tornado & # 39; s
Ohio officials said earlier Tuesday that several & # 39; rapid-fire & # 39; tornado & five million people left without power in the state alone.
Authorities also confirmed a death in Celina, Ohio, about 75 miles northwest of Dayton.
Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel said that 81-year-old Melvin Dale Hanna died when a Chevrolet Station Wagon was blown into his home during his sleep.
Hanna & # 39; s neighbor, Wendy Knapke, said she was watching as the vehicle was picked up by the tornado, flying over her house and bumping into the back of Hannah & # 39; s house.
Recently widowed, Hanna lived alone and his body was discovered in his bedroom. He was described as & # 39; an incredible father and an incredible man & # 39 ;, for the Columbus shipment.
Authorities said the most serious damage was reported in Celina. Hazel said there are & # 39; areas that really resemble war area & # 39; in the city with around 10,000 people.
Weather officials said an EF3 tornado hit Celina, but the speed is still being investigated.
Celina Fire Chief, Douglas Wolters, said no fewer than 90 homes were damaged by the tornadoes that were beaten by the region. Wolters estimates that 40 of the houses have suffered considerable damage and that some of their bases have been beaten.
Most people stay with family or friends, but some went to a shelter in nearby Coldwater.
This aerial view shows damaged houses and debris that mark the path of a tornado in Celina, Ohio
Ohio officials said earlier Tuesday that several & # 39; rapid-fire & # 39; tornado & five million people left without power in the state alone. Authorities also confirmed a death in Celina, Ohio. This aerial photo shows a house in Celina, Ohio, whose roof was torn off by the storm
Fallen and damaged vehicles were scattered throughout neighborhoods in Celina, Ohio
#BrookvilleStrong was engraved on a minivan after tornadoes landed in Brookville, Ohio
The storms scattered debris so thick that at some point the crews had to use snow peaks to clear the Interstate 75.
At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana to central Ohio suffered damage, the NWS said.
Mayor Hazel said first responders rescued a few people from their homes overnight and fought a third time to see if anyone else was trapped.
& # 39; It's devastating, & # 39; he added.
Elizabeth Long, a spokeswoman for the Kettering Health Network, said that dozens have been treated in local hospitals for minor injuries.
& # 39; We have had injuries ranging from injuries to the bumps and bruises of people thrown into their homes by the storms & # 39 ;, Long said.
The sheriff asked residents to avoid storm-damaged areas.
& # 39; There are multiple locations that have suffered extensive damage and the roads in those areas must be kept clear so that rescuers can come through to help those in need & # 39 ;, says an explanation.
Ohio's mother describes the terrifying moment when twister tore up her apartment on the top floor while hiding herself with her son in the bathtub
By Sophie Wingate for Dailymail.com
Khalil Murray (left), 23, saves his mother's life when he threw himself over Shannon Barnes (right), 47, to protect her from the impact and falling rubble
An Ohio mother and her son hid Monday night in their top floor apartment when a tornado tore the entire roof of their building.
Shannon Barnes, 47, was in the bathroom of her top floor apartment with her son Khalil Murray, 23, when the twister hit the Westbrooke Village complex in Trotwood near Dayton.
& # 39; I was sitting on the tub and Khalil was on the floor and I began to see the hail hit the window & # 39 ;, she told DailyMail.com.
& # 39; Suddenly the building started shaking. The following, you know, it took the roof off the building. & # 39;
& # 39; You could really feel the pressure of it, & # 39; said Barnes about the terrifying tornado.
Murray gooide zichzelf over zijn moeder in de badkuip om haar te beschermen tegen de impact en het vallende puin.
Murray beschreef worstelen om te ademen toen de twister toesloeg. Luchtdruk daalt binnen de muren van een tornado.
'Nadat ik zag dat de tornado het dak afdaalde, snakte ik naar lucht', zei hij. & # 39; I was in it and I saw the lightning in it and I could not breathe. & # 39;
The young man said he had saved his mother's life. Their house was completely destroyed during the night.
'Ik zal ergens naar toe moeten zoeken om te verhuizen omdat het beschadigd is,' zei Barnes over haar appartement op de derde verdieping. & # 39; There is nothing to go back to. & # 39;
Barnes is now staying with her daughter in the neighborhood.
The & # 39; rapid-fire & # 39; Tornadoes arrived for the first time in the birthplace of Trotwood, just outside of Dayton, at about 11 p.m. on Monday evening.
The young man said he had saved his mother's life. Hun huis was 's nachts volledig verwoest
According to the sheriff, there are also & # 39; potentially dangerous situations with streamlines down, unstable trees and possibly gas leaks & # 39 ;.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley urged residents to check on neighbors, especially those who are home-bound.
The power response requires a & # 39; multi-day recovery effort & # 39 ;, Dayton Power & Light said in an early morning sweat. Vanaf woensdagochtend hadden meer dan 37.000 mensen geen stroom, volgens PowerOutage.us
In a tweet, the city of Dayton urged residents to save water after the storms cut power to water plants and pumping stations.
'Vanwege de grote stroomuitval vragen we alle klanten van Dayton en Montgomery County om water te besparen', tweette de stad dinsdag.
& # 39; We have lost power to both aquatic plants and pumping stations. First responders perform search and rescue operations and clean up debris. & # 39;
City Manager Shelley Dickstein later gave cooking advice for residents. The advice covers & # 39; all water customers in Dayton and Montgomery County & # 39 ;.
De gemeenschap van Dayton, Ohio, is samengekomen om elkaar te helpen na de zware stormen. Corinthian Baptist Church members are seen providing food for victims on Tuesday
Residents of Dayton banded together throughout Tuesday and offered water, food, and other necessities to those affected by the tornado
Residents in the West Brook neighborhood cut tree limbs and search dilapidated buildings after a suspected EF3 tornado touched down
Rescue workers rest under a bus in Trotwood, Ohio, after powerful tornadoes ripped through the US state overnight
Rescue workers have spent the past few days going door-to-door to help trapped residents and others escape their homes and buildings
President Donald Trump spoke with Gov Mike DeWine, of Ohio, on Tuesday. Trump tweeted: 'My Administration fully supports the people of the great State of Ohio as they begin the cleanup and recovery'
Heartbreaking images showed families visiting what's left of their homes to dig through the debris.
Some found items to take with them, while others wept over the remnants of their houses. Others took photos of the damage and some were seen preparing to clean up their yards.
Republican Gov Mike DeWine visited communities hard-hit by the tornadoes in the Dayton area.
Among areas he visited is Trotwood, an older Dayton suburb of some 24,500 people, that was hit by a tornado with 140mph winds. The NWS classified the Trotwood tornado as an EF3.
An EF3 is considered a strong tornado that does severe damage, rated on a scale of EF0 through EF5.
During his visits, DeWine spoke with President Donald Trump.
'Storms overnight across Ohio and many other States were very dangerous and damaging. My team continues to update me with reports from emergency managers in the States affected. Listen to your local officials and be resilient. We are with you!' Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
He followed that tweet up with another that said he had just spoken with DeWine.
'@GovMikeDeWine just updated me on the devastation from the many tornadoes that struck Ohio early this morning. My Administration fully supports the people of the great State of Ohio as they begin the cleanup and recovery,' Trump wrote.
Trotwood Mayor Mary McDonald reported extensive, 'catastrophic damage'.
She said five busloads of displaced residents were taken to a church offering temporary shelter while the American Red Cross assesses needs.
In Harrison Township fire chief Mark Lynch said that the town appeared to be hit by 'World War III' and that it will take 'several years of rebuilding'.
CATASTROPHIC WEATHER ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND MIDWEST STATES CAUSES 11 DEATHS IN TWO WEEKS
The devastating storms began earlier this month when they bombarded the central US and produced dozens of destructive tornadoes, massive hail and damaging winds.
MAY 17-19: TORNADO ALLEY, NORTH DAKOTA DOWN TO TEXAS:
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Prediction Center (SPC), more than 30 tornadoes touched down in Nebraska and Kansas on May 17.
Texas had at least six and one touched down in Oklahoma.
At the time, the National Weather Service said that there were areas hit with 'strong tornadoes, significant damaging winds and very large hail'.
Tornado Alley – from North Dakota down to Texas – was the most impacted by the dangerous weather but 18 states in total and roughly 40 million residents were at risk
One tornado hit Sheridan, Illinois and hail as big as golf balls was reported to have fallen not far from Chicago.
By May 18, at least 8 large tornadoes had touched down primarily in Texas while another was reported to have ravaged Oklahoma.
Throughout that weekend, a total of 18 states with 40 million people were affected by the storm systems.
MAY 20: OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS THREATENED BY MORE STORMS
Tornadoes were spotted in Texas and Oklahoma on May 20 as some two million people across a broad swath of both states braced against the US National Weather service's warning that the risk of twisters in the region was at the highest level they had seen in years.
At the time, a tornado warning was issued for Reno, Kingfisher and Okarche in Oklahoma. A funnel cloud was also spotted in Paducah, Texas.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center issued the highest threat level possible, of a 5 out of 5, for violent tornadoes on May 20.
Soon after the tornado threat was over, the threat of a flash flood in Oklahoma increased. Storm cells that developed followed one after the other in what is called 'training,' leading to scattered reports of flash flooding that night.
MAY 21: TORNADOES IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, KANSAS AND MISSOURI AND SNOW IN COLORADO
Four million residents were under a flash flood 'emergency warning' on May 21, including in Oklahoma, where as much as five feet of water entered homes in Hominy, to the northeast of the state.
Some 22 tornadoes were reported across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Rescue crews in boats brought at least 50 people out of flood waters because heavy showers flooded roads and houses.
Meanwhile in Colorado, snow was falling – the latest it has fallen in more than four decades – leaving houses and cars covered and roads coated in black ice.
Four million residents were under a flash flood 'emergency warning' on May 21, including in Oklahoma, where as much as five feet of water entered homes in Hominy, to the northeast of the state. Meanwhile in Colorado, snow (pictured) was falling – the latest it has fallen in more than four decades – leaving houses and cars covered and roads coated in black ice
MAY 22: SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY OF TORNADOES IN THE MIDWEST
Last week, this dangerous storm system in the Midwest produced dozens of tornadoes for the second consecutive day, leaving two dead, demolishing a racetrack grandstand and damaging a wild animal park.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said an SUV skidded across the center of US 160 and struck a tractor-trailer, killing Brandon Beasley, 23, and his 24-year-old wife, Christin, of Willard, Missouri, who were in the SUV.
Missouri Gov Mike Parson declared a state of emergency, citing worsening flood concerns and soil inundation.
The severe weather started in the Southern Plains on May 20 and moved to the northeast. Missouri and parts of Illinois and Arkansas were in the cross-hairs by Tuesday.
At this point, some 37 tornadoes had been reported across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Those include the previous 22 tornadoes on May 21.
Two barges broke loose and floated swiftly down the swollen Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma on May 22.
MAY 22 INTO MAY 23: VIOLENT MISSOURI TORNADO
Late Wednesday night, the tornado touched down in Jefferson City, causing heavy damage in Missouri's capital city.
The tornado was blamed for three deaths, and it also left several people trapped in the wreckage of their homes.
The service reported at the time that a 'confirmed large and destructive tornado' was observed over Jefferson City at 11.43pm on Wednesday.
Missouri Public Safety confirmed in a tweet that three people were killed in the Golden City area of Barton County, and several injured in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County.
At this point, the death toll from the week's storms included a 74-year-old woman found early Wednesday morning in Iowa.
Missouri authorities said heavy rain was a contributing factor in the deaths of two people in a traffic accident Tuesday near Springfield.
A fourth weather-related death may have occurred in Oklahoma, where the Highway Patrol said a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade Tuesday near Perkins, about 45 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
Officials reported a total of seven deaths, including the three deaths in Jefferson City.
MAY 24: DEATH TOLL INCREASES AS FLOOD FEARS RISE
The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday in a submerged vehicle near the Mississippi River in Missouri, bringing the death toll to nine from storms that have ravaged the central US.
John Reinhardt, 20, and Caitlin Frangel, 19, both of Hazelwood, Missouri, were reported missing on May 15.
Their bodies were found around 4am on a flooded rural road that runs along the river at Portage Des Sioux, about 40 miles north of St Louis.
Heavy rain in recent weeks spurred major flooding in several states.
Flooding along the Arkansas River threatened communities from Tulsa into western Arkansas through the holiday weekend, as water released from an Oklahoma dam combined with additional rain.
MAY 26: TORNADOES CONTINUE AND THE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 11
The devastating weather continued for the entire week and into the weekend as two more people were killed when a tornado tore through El Reno, Oklahoma, Saturday night.
The American Budget Value Inn in El Reno was decimated by the tornado. More than 30 people were reportedly inside the hotel when the twister struck.
Witnesses said they saw people being pulled from the rubble of the hotel in the aftermath. A nearby mobile home park that was also in the tornado's path was completely destroyed. It remains unclear how many people were injured.
Before Saturday's deaths were reported, the death toll from the storms across the Central and Midwest states was at nine.
More than 30 people were inside the hotel when the tornado struck. Pictured are emergency workers checking what is left of the second floor of the hotel. Two people were killed, bringing the death toll to 11
Two tornadoes hit Monday night near the metro area of Dayton, Ohio, just 30 minutes apart, according to the NWS.
The aftermath left some lanes of Interstate 75 north of Dayton.
Plowed trucks scraped branches and debris to reopen the great north-south route, according to Matt Bruning, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
In Brookville, west of Dayton, the storm tore roofs off schools, destroyed a shed and badly damaged homes. Classes were canceled. In the county of Montgomery, Sheriff Streck said that many roads were impassable.
The first destructive tornado first arrived in the town of Trotwood, just outside of Dayton, at about 11 p.m. on Monday evening before traveling through the state.
At that time, the NWS described the tornado as & # 39; extremely dangerous & # 39; en waarschuwde hij inwoners om in hun schuilplaatsen te blijven terwijl het door het dichtbevolkte gebied scheurde.
& # 39; This is a life-threatening situation & # 39 ;, the NWS warned in a tweet. The agency also said that residents should seek coverage in two nearby provinces.
Weather officials reported signs on their radars of debris being lifted tens of thousands of feet when the first tornado touched down.
Photos taken by residents showed severely damaged houses and buildings, as well as cut trees and power lines.
In Brookville, west of Dayton, the storm tore roofs off schools, destroyed a barn and heavily damaged houses
Heartbreaking images showed families visiting what's left of their homes to dig through the debris
A tornado destroyed a garage on the corner of Johnsville Brookville Road and Brookville Pyrmont Road in Ohio
The recent surge in tornado activity over the past two weeks was driven by high pressure over the Southeast and an unusually cold trough over the Rockies that forced warm, moist air into the central US sparking repeated severe thunderstorms and periodic tornadoes
Since 2012, the tornado figures have brought the United States to rest, with counts that follow on or below the average every year and meteorologists who are still working to find out why.
'A lot of people are trying to answer that, but there's no definitive answer,' Marsh said.
The recent rise in tornado activity in the last two weeks was due to high pressure across the southeast and an unusually cold trough over the Rockies that forced warm, moist air in the central US to repeated heavy thunderstorms and periodic whirlwinds.
Scientists also say that climate change is responsible for more intense and frequent extreme weather, such as storms, droughts, floods and fires, but without extensive study they cannot link a single weather to the changing climate.
'Neither one of these large systems —the high over the Southeast or the trough over the Rockies— are showing signs of moving,' Marsh said. 'It's a little unusual for them to be so entrenched this late in the season.'
Those conditions are ripe for the kind of tornadoes that have swept across the Midwest in the last two weeks, said Cathy Zapotocny, a meteorologist for the NWS in Valley, Nebraska.
Zapotocny said the unstable atmosphere helped fuel many of the severe winter storms and subsequent flooding that ravaged Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri earlier this year.
'We've been stuck in this pattern since February,' she said.
Zapotocny said the number of tornadoes this year was 'basically normal' until the surge this week.
May is typically the month with the highest incidence of tornadoes, usually in the Plains and Midwestern states collectively known as Tornado Alley, where most of this year's twisters have hit.
Most of the confirmed tornadoes were rated as less-intense EF0, EF1 and EF2s on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
But 23 were classified as EF3 tornadoes, with wind speeds of 136-165mph. The strongest confirmed tornado this year was the EF4 tornado that killed 23 people in Alabama in March.
So far this year, 38 people have died in 10 tornadoes in the US, including a combined seven within the last week in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Ohio.
The relatively quiet storms in recent years followed the massive tornado that killed 161 people and injured more than 1,100 in Joplin, Missouri, in 2011. The EF5 storm packed winds in excess of 200mph and was on the ground for more than 22 miles.
Monday's outbreak was unusual because it occurred over a particularly wide geographic area.
Eight states were affected by two regional outbreaks, in the high Plains and the Ohio River Valley.
Missouri remained under a severe weather threat through Tuesday night, barely a week after a massive tornado ripped through the state capital of Jefferson City, but the high pressure system that raised the risk is set to move out of the state by Thursday.
'The main threat is going to be tonight and tomorrow,' said Cory Rothstein, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Springfield, Missouri.
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