Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the U.S., wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states.

A severe weather system spawned intense, long-duration tornadoes that struck parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri, leaving some communities in tatters.

Tornadoes whipped through Missouri on Friday night, ripping apart homes, businesses, and the electrical system. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Office says at least 12 people have been killed and one person is still missing from the severe weather.

Over the past 24 hours, more than 40 reported tornadoes have swept across eight states in the Midwest and South -- and the dangerous severe weather threat continues. The eight states with reported tornadoes in the past day are Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee.