Tornadoes devastate US Midwest

The storms have hit Kansas and Oklahoma particularly hard, with one tornado violently ripping the roof off a historic church in Ottawa, Kansas.

Over 130 million people from Texas to New York remain under severe weather alerts as the system moves eastward.

Forecasters warn that the threat of giant hail and destructive wind gusts will persist through the week.

Emergency crews are currently assessing the damage and conducting search and rescue operations in the most heavily impacted communities.