WASHINGTON, Nov 11: Multiple tornadoes and rains lashed the southeastern United States on Monday leaving 35 dead, hundreds missing and entire communities and towns flattened.

“We’re right now holding at 17 fatalities with 60 hospitalised, three of them life threatening,” said Cecil Whaley, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

“One hundred fifty people are still missing primarily in Anderson County and Mossy County areas which are very isolated, rural areas with no electricity and no telephones so we’re having a hard time matching people,” he said in Nashville.

“Now that the fog has lifted we’ve got National Guard Black Hawk helicopters out there, which is helping the search greatly.”

Tennessee was one of the hardest-hit states, with cars flipped over and houses reduced to rubble.

Tornadoes are some of nature’s most violent storms. Spinning winds often surpassing 300 kilometres an hour are common in the flatter US states.

“The entire town of Mossy Grove is just gone, devastated. I mean there’s nothing left. No houses, schools, cars,” Whaley said.

“We have search and rescue experts, but like in the World Trade Center disaster we want to be really careful going through the rubble so we don’t inadvertently crush anyone,” Whaley said, noting the 17th victim was a rescue worker crushed by a collapsed house.—AFP