Deadly storms and tornadoes kill at least 29 people in several US states

As many as 29 people have been killed after a slew of tornadoes tore through parts of the southern and midwestern US in recent days, leaving immense destruction and debris in its path, according to officials.

A monster storm system struck at least eight states over the weekend, prompting at least 50 preliminary reports of tornadoes. The states affected include Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Delaware and Alabama.

Home to 85 million people, the affected area saw at least 900,000 places without power after the storms began tearing through Friday evening.

Tennessee, one of the hardest-hit states, had nine deaths related to the weather, according to the Memphis-based news channel WREG. A tornado there twisted trees, flattened homes into piles of wooden boards and ripped walls from still-standing structures.

The deaths blamed on the storm system also included at least 17 across Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama in the south, Indiana and Illinois in the midwest, and Delaware in the mid-Atlantic. The storm system left dozens injured.

As of Sunday morning, residents in mid-Atlantic states are experiencing the highest number of power outages in the country, peaking at well over 200,000 customers without power, according to PowerOutage.us. Meanwhile, the Great Lake states including Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota have close to 110,000 customers without electricity.

Meanwhile, in Belvidere, Illinois, the roof of a concert hall theater collapsed onto 260 people who were attending a heavy metal concert during the storm. A 50-year-old man was killed while 28 others were injured, including five who had serious injuries, according to fire officials who spoke to NBC.

TV footage showed emergency personnel carrying out injured concert-goers on stretchers, while video posted on social media showed waist-high rubble on the floor of the venue and a gaping hole in the roof.

In Tennessee, a half-mile-wide tornado which tore through Wayne and Lewis counties on Friday traveled about 38 miles in as many minutes packing wind speeds of 130 mph, the Tennessean newspaper reported.

Following destruction from the storm which destroyed dozens of houses as well as a post office, volunteer efforts were being set up across the state Sunday to help clean up debris.

Tornadoes are common in the US, especially in the centre and south of the country.