Death toll climbs as severe storms tear through U.S.

Sunday, December 27, 2015, 5:37 PM - The death toll continues to rise amid severe storms that have spawned several tornadoes and severe flooding across the United States.

The body of a motorist was discovered in a swollen creek in Greene County, southwestern Missouri Sunday afternoon. Authorities have yet to release the person's identity or official cause of death.

Flash flood warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for eastern, central and southwest Missouri, where upwards of 150 mm of rain fell during the weekend.

At least 11 were killed in Texas on Boxing Day and officials are warning the number of victims could still rise.

Due to blowing and drifting snow, The Texas Department of Public Safety in Amarillo is strongly advising against all travel through the entire Texas Panhandle. More than 20 drivers were left stranded as eight to 10-foot high snow drifts swept over major highways. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abott has declared state of disaster in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Ellis counties.

Eight of the dead were in the city of Garland, near Dallas, where USA Today reports around 600 homes were also destroyed. Three others died in other parts of Texas, bringing to 29 the number of people who have been killed by severe weather in the U.S. this month.

The BBC reports five of the dead were killed when their cars were blown off the highway by the storms' strong winds, which flattened numerous structures.

The death toll rose through the morning as rescuers combed through the rubble of homes that had been destroyed.

At least one church in the Dallas area was destroyed with its pastor still inside it.

"Doors began to turn inward, when I saw that I figured the glass was going to shatter and hit me in the face, so I broke and ran down the hallway and by the time I got just a few feet everything collapsed and went dark and fell on top of me," Kevin Taylor told WFAA.

The National Weather Service says it received 11 tornado reports from Saturday, and had teams out to inspect the area to determine if tornadoes occurred.

The tornado that struck Garland has been rated at EF-4 strength, with winds up to 322 km/h. The NWS says this is only the second tornado of that strength to strike Dallas County since 1950.

A second tornado was confirmed in the town of Rowlett, an EF-3 with winds up to 266 km/h.

This has been one of the deadliest holiday seasons in the United States. Of the 30 total deaths, 10 occurred in Mississippi alone, and that state has seen more than 20 tornadoes over the past week.

SOURCES: BBC | USA Today