At least 18 people have died as tornados and severe weather hit several states in the midwest and southern U.S.

The National Weather Service has issued multiple tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings on Saturday throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Texas.

There have been 11 deaths alone reported in Missouri.

Citing a National Weather Service meteorologist, Reuters reported that 26 tornadoes were "reported but not confirmed to have touched down late on Friday night and early on Saturday as a low pressure system drove powerful thunderstorms across parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri."