Storms leave 35 dead in US, thousands without power

As severe storms swept across South and Central America, at least 35 people were left dead and tens of thousands remained without power even as forecasters downgraded the threat to the eastern half of US.

Some storm risks remain, including the possibility of large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding in portions of the South and East Coast, National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Centre said Tuesday night.

Mississippi and Alabama-where tornadoes Monday caused widespread destruction and several deaths-were again in the bull's-eye for the worst of the forecast on Tuesday evening, CNN reported.

A number of tornado warnings expired Tuesday night in North Carolina, where forecasters say the storm was barrelling north.

Tens of thousands were without power in the South, where suspected tornadoes tore through homes and businesses late Monday.

At least 17 people were killed in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on Monday.

Those deaths are in addition to 18 others reported in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa from storms Sunday.

Search and rescue efforts were still under way in Louisville, Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Meanwhile, the storm that walloped Mississippi and Alabama overnight was making its way through parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, according to the Storm Prediction Centre.

Monday's storms left a trail of damage through several Mississippi and Alabama communities.

Mississippi authorities confirmed 12 deaths. Three people died in Alabama and two in Tennessee, according to officials.

In Tupelo, birthplace of Elvis Presley, buildings near a major commercial district on the city's north side were "wiped away," CNN reported citing a local journalist.

In Jefferson County, Alabama-site of the state's largest city, Birmingham, about 90,000 homes and businesses were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, according to Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

About 10,000 customers remained without power around Jackson, Mississippi.