Storm victims in Kentucky and Missouri are digging through tornado-stricken neighborhoods after severe weather swept through parts of the Midwest and South, leaving more than two dozen people dead.

Tornadoes and sever storms hit several parts of the US on Friday, leaving at least 23 dead and thousands of buildings damaged.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said 19 people in the state had died from the storms, many in Laurel County in the southern part of the state. The storm system also killed seven people in Missouri and two in Virginia when it rolled through the region, authorities said.