Huge tornadoes have been barreling through multiple cities in Midwest and south central states since Sunday, leaving widespread destruction in their wake and, at time of writing, a death toll of 18.
Seven perished in central Arkansas and two were killed in northeast Oklahoma. The region was still on alert Monday -- multiple twisters had already hit Mississippi and more devastation was expected as a result.
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This is the first time the United States has seen back-to-back high risk days, as designated by the Storm Prediction Center, since May 2011. Much of the country's central region, from Nebraska to northern Louisiana, was on high alert through Sunday night with areas in Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, northeastern Texas and northern Louisiana at the greatest risk of hard-hitting, long-lasting tornadoes. Sections of Mississippi and Alabama were put on high risk as of Monday afternoon.
Tornado season this year got off to a quiet start which, according to forecasters, may have led to some complacency in the regions. Despite the slow start, many cities were warned almost half an hour or more to prepare before the tornadoes touched down.
President Obama addressed the disaster from a news conference in the Philippines, saying, "Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes."
Below, we've gathered images of the destruction in hard-hit cities in Arkansas and Kansas.
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