Officials have confirmed at least 12 deaths in Missouri following storms overnight, with 9 of those in Heartland counties.19 tornadoes were reported as severe storms moved through the area Friday night into Saturday morning,

"The scale of devastation across our state is staggering," Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said. "While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action."

Nine of the 12 fatalities reported during last week's severe weather outbreak occurred in Wayne and Ozark counties.

Violent tornadoes and high winds have decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.

Meanwhile, the severe weather threat will linger through Sunday from Florida northward into the upper Ohio River Valley, forecasters warned.

A powerful storm system that tore across the United States in recent days is winding down Monday, but in its wake are devastated communities across states hit with violent tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms spun off by the massive system.