Melanie Espinoza Rodriguez, two, was killed in Tennessee after she was struck by a metal football goal post blown over by strong winds and a seven-year-old child suffered a fatal electric shock in Mississippi.
Other victims included a woman who drowned after rushing water swept away her car in Missouri and Cove Creek fire chief Doug Decker died early on Sunday morning after he was struck by a vehicle as he checked water levels in Quitman, Arkansas.
Four people were killed and around 50 people were treated for injuries after tornadoes hit several towns in east Texas.
At least three tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service east of Dallas – in Canton, Eustace and Caney City.
The damage in Canton, TX is extensive. #txwx pic.twitter.com/CVnnyMLlGC
— Tornado Trackers (@tornadotrackers) April 30, 2017
Canton mayor Lou Ann Everett said at a news conference: “It is heartbreaking and upsetting to say the least.”
The storms cut a path of destruction 35 miles long and 15 miles wide in Van Zandt Countym, around 50 miles east of Dallas, damaging homes, uprooting trees and overturning cars.
A car dealership was also demolished with its vehicles flung into the air before they landed on a nearby highway.
At least ten other people have died as a result of flooding or strong winds in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Indiana.
Parts of Indiana have received up to 20cm of rain while areas in Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas were drenched with up to 10cm.
The governors of Missouri and Oklahoma have declared states of emergency due to flooding.
Rescues in Arkansas were still looking for an 18-month-old girl and a four-year-old boy who were in a vehicle that was swept off a bridge by floodwaters in Hindsville, Madison County Sheriff’s Office said.
A ten-year-old girl drowned in Springdale, Arkansas, and the body of a woman who disappeared while riding on an inflatable ring was found in a creek in Eureka Springs.
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens said over 30 rescues have been conducted and some residents have been told to evacuate.
Heavy rain in the Midwest is expected to continue on Sunday, along with wind gusts of 60mph.
Further flash floods and thunderstorms are also forecast for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the National Weather Service said.
TEXAS
