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At least 13 people have been killed as a storm hit the US Midwest, bringing devastation to parts of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.
At least 10 were killed in Harrisburg, Illinois, and another died near Buffalo, Missouri. More than 30 others were hurt.
Rescue workers are searching for any people trapped in wrecked homes, including a trailer park near Buffalo.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has declared a state of emergency.
In downtown Branson, Missouri, a country music hub, debris and scattered road signs littered the streets.
One witness, John Moore, who owns a diner that was damaged in the storm, said a twister rampaged down the main street, appearing to "jump side to side".
"The theatre next to me kind of exploded. It went everywhere. The hotels on the two sides of me lost their roofs. Power lines are down. Windows are blown out," he added.
"There's major, major destruction. There has to be millions dollars of damage all down the strip."
The tornadoes are said to have been generated by a cold storm moving down from the Rocky mountains that hit a warm front as it moved east, said Corey Mead, lead forecaster at the US Storm Prediction Center, Oklahoma.
Sixteen twisters were sighted in the US states of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
Tornado season begins in March, but correspondents say twisters are not unusual earlier in the year.
In May 2011 a deadly tornado ripped through the nearby town of Joplin, Missouri, killing 142 people.
At least 10 were killed in Harrisburg, Illinois, and another died near Buffalo, Missouri. More than 30 others were hurt.
Rescue workers are searching for any people trapped in wrecked homes, including a trailer park near Buffalo.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has declared a state of emergency.
In downtown Branson, Missouri, a country music hub, debris and scattered road signs littered the streets.
One witness, John Moore, who owns a diner that was damaged in the storm, said a twister rampaged down the main street, appearing to "jump side to side".
"The theatre next to me kind of exploded. It went everywhere. The hotels on the two sides of me lost their roofs. Power lines are down. Windows are blown out," he added.
"There's major, major destruction. There has to be millions dollars of damage all down the strip."
The tornadoes are said to have been generated by a cold storm moving down from the Rocky mountains that hit a warm front as it moved east, said Corey Mead, lead forecaster at the US Storm Prediction Center, Oklahoma.
Sixteen twisters were sighted in the US states of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
Tornado season begins in March, but correspondents say twisters are not unusual earlier in the year.
In May 2011 a deadly tornado ripped through the nearby town of Joplin, Missouri, killing 142 people.
