Hurricane-force winds forecast as 8.5m Americans in six states put under tornado warning after Texas twister horror

DEADLY tornadoes have ripped through Texas, destroying around 1,000 homes and leaving at least one person dead.

Residents in multiple states are still under severe weather warnings as Texas reels from the aftermath of a storm that might not be over yet.

AP

Texas resident Kristie Wofford surveys the damage in her neighborhood in Round Rock[/caption]

Tornado watches, hail, and wind warnings are in effect for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi through the end of the day March 22.

All six states are expected to see golf ball sized hail and 75-mile-per-hour winds through the evening.

The Daily Mail reported that at least 20 tornadoes have touched down in Texas and Oklahoma already.

These tornadoes have left several residents injured, and resulted in the death of a 71-year-old woman in Oklahoma. The woman’s name has not been released publicly.

Millions of Americans have already been left without power, and rescuers are continuing to search through building rubble to find any survivors.

The Daily Mail also reported that “Tornadoes occurring at night are more than twice as likely to be deadly as those during the day,” bracing residents for another potentially catastrophic evening.

“We’re still a bit uncertain on just how intense and how longer-lived some of these tornadoes may be, so we’re going to be just below that threshold of the greatest risk,” Jeremy Grams, a lead weather forecaster, told the Post Gazette.

States including Louisiana and Mississippi are also dealing with rising water levels from nearby rivers, which are covering roads and making travel difficult and dangerous for motorists.

Most parishes in Louisiana are under a level four, or moderate, weather risk through the night of March 22.

Local buildings including schools, community centers, gyms and grocery stores have been toppled and it is unclear when states and towns might be able to start rebuilding.

Tornadoes continue to travel down I-35 and I-45, and while many National Weather Service warnings end on Tuesday, they could be extended as most storms aren’t actually expected to phase out until Wednesday.

Getty Images - Getty

Construction crews begin their clean up in Texas[/caption]

James Watson via Storyful

The moment a tornado touches down in a Texas parking lot[/caption]