The death toll from severe storms in the midwest and southern United States has risen to at least 20, according to local media.

ABC News reported that a father and his son were killed in Georgia on Sunday when a falling tree struck them on a golf course.

Since Wednesday, an additional 18 storm-related deaths have been reported in Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

In Tennessee, where a powerful tornado devastated the city of Selmer, 10 people lost their lives.

By Sunday, approximately 90 tornadoes had been recorded across the nation. Heavy rainfall also caused rivers to overflow, resulting in widespread flooding.

The National Weather Service issued warnings for life-threatening flood conditions.

As the situation worsened, Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency, especially in areas like Covington, where streets were submerged due to the Ohio and Licking rivers.

The Kentucky River reached nearly 15 metres in Frankfort, approaching a near-record level. Around 80,000 households in the affected states were left without power, according to Poweroutage.us.

Air traffic was severely impacted, with approximately 4,000 delays and 150 flight cancellations reported on Sunday. 

(dpa/NAN)