A POWERFUL STORM system that swept across the east coast of the US overnight has killed four people in Virginia, destroyed homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the region.

Nick Mobley helps clean up a house owned by a family friend in Appomattox County, Virginia. AP AP

A day earlier, the system spawned about two dozen tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, damaging hundreds of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. Three people were killed and dozens were injured.

Forecasters had warned that more than 88 million people were at risk of seeing some sort of severe weather yesterday. In the midwest, heavy snow and biting winds led to mass flight cancellations at Chicago airports and school closings in several states.

State of emergency

In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency yesterday evening.

The tiny farming town of Waverly in the state’s peanut-growing region took the brunt of the storm. The Virginia State Police said at least five structures were damaged in the town of approximately 2,000.

The names of the three people killed there were not released, but state police said in a statement that they were a two-year-old child and two men, aged 50 and 26.

She said their bodies were found about 300 yards from their mobile home.

Roads leading into the town had to be closed because of downed trees and debris tossed by winds gusting to 60 mph, Geller said. A 7.30pm curfew was imposed so search and rescue teams could go door to door checking on people.

A vehicle lies overturned in Penscola, Florida. AP AP

Witnesses said the storm swept through Waverly with little warning.

Timothy Williams said a friend had just come by to take his new car for a drive when the storm hit.

“It picked the car right off the ground, and put it right back on the ground,” said Williams, 44. He said they remained in the car until the storm passed.

The storm blew down electrical wires “in a big ball of fire, thrashing all about each other”, Williams said. He said they both escaped shaken but uninjured.

“I’m just a little nervous and jittery, but overall I’m OK,” Williams said.

Destruction

In Appomattox County, a funnel cloud left an eight- to 10-mile path of destruction, injuring seven people and killing one man, state police said.

At least 15 structures were destroyed and 25 injuries were reported when the storm passed through Essex County and the town of Tappahannock, about 45 miles northeast of Richmond, state police said.

Virginia residents walk through debris left by the deadly storm. AP AP

The injuries ranged from minor to serious, but were no confirmed fatalities.

On Tuesday, one of the hardest-hit areas along the Gulf Coast was a recreational vehicle park in the town of Convent, in southern Louisiana.

Two people were killed there, and 31 injured people were taken to area hospitals, local police said.

The storms also dumped several inches of rain in Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere, causing flash flood watches.

In Mississippi, 73-year-old Dale Purvis died of blunt-force trauma in a mobile home west of the city of Purvis.

Read: This weekend will be ‘much colder than normal’