14 of the most extreme photos of severe storms in US

At least 11 people were killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed after several tornadoes ripped through the Dallas area, The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday.

The tornado that hit Rowlett was at least an EF-3 with winds between 136 and 155, the agency determined.

Pedro Barineau said that three deaths occurred in vehicles, according to the Associated Press. This is the USA’s first EF-4 tornado to strike in December in 15 years.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made disaster declarations Sunday for four counties including Dallas and warned that the number of victims could rise. The National Weather Service forecasts between 7 to 10 inches of snow in the Chippewa Falls area.

The storms came as other countries struggled with extreme weather and stressed holiday infrastructure. Dallas had a high of 82 degrees Saturday and was down to 41 on Sunday, with freezing temperatures forecast for Monday, according to CNN meteorologist Rachel Aissen.

The 24 deaths include 11 in the Dallas area, eight in Missouri and five in southern IL.

The National Weather Service said more than 20 states-from Texas to as far north and east as Maine-were under a weather watch or warning. Michael Downard stands outside his house in Rowlett, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, the morning after it was struck by a tornado. “I can’t believe the road was left in this condition”.

In some parts of New Mexico, more than 16 inches of snow has fallen with drifts as high as eight feet.

Elsewhere, some highways remain icy and snow-packed and the department is advising drivers to use caution.

Central Texas meanwhile was facing flood risks, while the east was bracing for the possibility of more tornadoes.

Almost 900 flights have been canceled across the USA and another 500 have been delayed due to the large storm system moving through the middle part of the country.

The governors of New Mexico, Texas and Missouri declared states of emergency for all or parts of their states Sunday to better handle storm damage.

In southern IL, authorities said three adults and two children drowned Saturday when the vehicle they were riding in was swept away and sank in a rain-swollen creek.

“The little boy was hanging on to the back of the vehicle”, Tyler said Saturday.

The death toll may increase by two, as two bodies were recovered Monday in Gordon County, Georgia.

In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday.

The severe weather had closed off roads, grounded flights, and disrupted air travel in the affected areas.

The Weather Channel reported between two and three feet of snow in the eastern part of the state, while violent winds are said to be driving snowdrifts eight to ten feet tall.

Widespread flash flooding also caused problems in Arkansas.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport because of the weather. She urged travelers passing through New Mexico to use Interstate 10 instead.

Cars that had been in driveways ended up inside homes.

Several bridges in southeastern Missouri counties also are closed because of flooding.

“I don’t declare local disasters lightly”, Jenkins said. The tornado was the only the second of that strength to hit Dallas County since 1950.