At least 37 dead after tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms wreak havoc across multiple U.S. states

The National Weather Service said tornado watches had mostly expired, but dangerous winds were still possible in the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida through March 16 evening.

Unusually vicious and damaging weather across multiple U.S. states spawned violent tornadoes, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires this weekend, leaving at least 37 people dead.

Hailey Hart and her fiancé Steve Romero hunkered down with their three huskies inside their 1994 Toyota Celica as a tornado ripped apart their home Saturday in Tylertown, Mississippi.

Mr. Romero said he prayed out loud and hugged Ms. Hart as the car rolled onto its side, windows shattering, before it landed on its wheels again. After the twister passed, they could hear people nearby screaming for help.

“It was a bad dream come true,” he said.

Next door, Ms. Hart’s grandparents crawled out from the rubble of their destroyed house after they sought shelter in a bathroom as falling trees collapsed the roof.

“Everything was coming down on us,” said Donna Blansett, Ms. Hart’s grandmother. “All I could do was pray to God to save us.”

They escaped with just a few scratches and aches. Family members, friends and volunteers spent Sunday removing debris and salvaging anything they could find — some damp clothes, a photo album and a few toiletries.