At least 14 people have been killed as tornadoes sweep across several states in the U.S., with forecasters warning that more of the intense, long-lasting storms at a level typically experienced only once or twice in a lifetime could be coming, putting cities in the southern part of the country at risk.

According to the New York Times, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said 11 people were killed in the state, while the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management reported that three people died in Arkansas, with 29 others reported injured in the state.

More than 500 homes, a church and a grocery store were destroyed in Butler County, Missouri, according to Robbie Myers, the director of the county’s Emergency Management Department.

“It was a very devastating scene where the mobile home park was,” said Mr Myers, who added that several people had been taken to the hospital with injuries.

On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued the highest risk alert for tornadoes in some parts of the South, with Louisiana and Mississippi predicted as the two states that are most susceptible to tornadoes from late morning into early afternoon.

Wild storms are also expected to race across Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia through some parts of northern Florida from Saturday afternoon into evening and through the midnight, the Times reported.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also warned of excessive rainfall and flash flooding in the Southeast “with numerous significant tornadoes expected on Saturday afternoon and evening.”