Almost two dozen homes have been damaged after a tornado struck northern Louisiana on Sunday as a barrage of harsh weather batters the south of the United States.
According to NBC News broadcaster, tornadoes have also battered some other southern states, including Texas and Louisiana, inflicting damage on buildings. The USA Today reports that over 60,000 people across Mississippi and Louisiana have been left without electricity.
The Mississippi Emergencies Management Agency said that at least six people have been killed in tornadoes in the southern state.
"One confirmed fatality in Walthall County ... Two confirmed deaths in Lawrence County from today’s severe weather ... Three confirmed fatalities in Jefferson Davis County," the agency wrote on Twitter, stressing that these are initial reports and updates will follow.
The city of Monroe (LA) first tweeted "reports of damage in multiple neighbourhoods" after the storm hit at noon on Sunday.
Images of wreckage which the town mayor described as "catastrophic" were later posted.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado emergency for Monroe and surrounding areas at 11:44 a.m. CDT as an approaching tornado was confirmed.
The NWS reported that 20 homes had been damaged and that numerous planes and hangers had been hit at the Monroe Regional Airport.
All flights into Monroe Regional were cancelled.
Video and images of the disaster have been uploaded to social media.
Some victims asked for prayers and support.
Others posted images of a dark cloud over their neighbourhood.
The tornado that struck Monroe is part of a very large storm system passing over the south of the US. According to the NWS Storm Prediction Center, the thunderstorms will carry on into Sunday night.
Nearly 95 million people could be affected by the storm system, with 5.8 million in the path of the most menacing portion, in Louisiana and up into the Tennessee Valley region.