Two die as storms rip through US states

Meanwhile, a tropical storm has affected the Carolinas in the South East, and wintry weather hit parts of Colorado in the Mountain West.

Two people died in storms in south-western Arkansas, KSLA-TV reported, citing the Howard County Sheriff’s Office.

Howard County Sheriff Brian McJunkins said the victims lived in adjoining mobile homes and that two other people were critically injured.

In the small town of Van in north-east Texas, about two dozen people were injured and some homes were destroyed after a severe storm struck, an emergency management official said .

The storm that the National Weather Service said likely produced a tornado hit the east side of Van Zandt County and the city of Van on Sunday evening.

Chuck Allen, the Van Zandt County fire marshal and emergency management co-ordinator, said that approximately 26 patients were transported to hospitals after a triage area was established at a church.

About 30 per cent of the city suffered some kind of damage, he said.

“Damages range from completely destroyed homes, damaged homes, to trees and power lines down,” Mr Allen added.

The storm was part of severe weather that stretched across North Texas on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, another likely tornado ripped roofs off buildings and damaged trees near Denton, about 40 miles north west of Dallas.