At least nine dead in US tornadoes, storms

Washington: At least nine people were killed across the central United States as tornadoes and other extreme storms hit several states including Texas...

Washington: At least nine people were killed across the central United States as tornadoes and other extreme storms hit several states including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, officials said Sunday.

Rescue efforts were ongoing and hundreds of thousands of people were without power after the storms struck the Southern Plains region beginning late Saturday.

In Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told ABC affiliate WFAA that five people were dead after a tornado ripped through the Valley View area, north of Dallas.

"Sadly, I think that number will rise," Sappington told The Weather Channel, adding that search and rescue operations were ongoing.

The twister destroyed homes and a gas station, and overturned vehicles on an interstate highway. Sappington called the damage "pretty extensive."