A deadly tornado outbreak ripped through Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Mississippi overnight Friday, leaving destruction, power outages and tragic loss in its wake.

Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.

At least 19 people have died as an outbreak of tornadoes ravished through the South and Midwest early Saturday morning, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

After deadly storms scourged the Heartland, volunteers are gathering from across the area to help with relief and recovery efforts.

Violent tornadoes and high winds 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.

Thousands of power outages were reported Saturday as a deadly severe weather outbreak moved across the Midwest and South.

Residents are surveying damage from unusually vicious weather in multiple U.S. states where violent twisters, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires decimated entire neighborhoods.

"Get to the sturdiest structure you have access to and remain in place until the storms pass," the NWS told residents in Alabama on Saturday night, when multiple tornado warnings were issued. At least 250,