Eleven of the victims were in
several suburbs of Little Rock in Arkansas, a state official said.
One other person was killed in
the town of Quapaw in the north-east of Oklahoma where officials said many
buildings were badly damaged.
Tornadoes also struck in
Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
Quapaw which has a population of
about 900 was badly damaged by the tornado and about 6 people were
injured.
The tornado then headed
northwards into the state of Kansas where it struck Baxter Springs, injuring
several people and causing extensive damage.
The Arkansas tornado touched down
about 16km west of the city of Little Rock and left a 65km path of destruction.
It is said to have passed through
several northern suburbs including the town of Mayflower where it destroyed
several buildings.
Over the weekend, storms struck
the eastern part of the US, killing a child in North Carolina.
By Angel Mboya
Source: BBC News
Chapisha Maoni