Severe weather continues to hammer the Missouri city of Joplin, hampering search-and-rescue teams as they comb through rubble for survivors of a tornado that killed more than 100 people.
Late Monday night, officials warned that another tornado could hit the small city, which residents likened to a "war zone."
At least 116 people were killed by the tornado and hundreds more injured. Entire neighbourhoods were wiped out, and the roof of a hospital was sheared off. But crews still managed to find seven survivors on Monday, according to City Manager Mark Rohr.
Local authorities had cautioned that the number of fatalities could rise as emergency workers continued to scour the area.
"Search rescuers are still en route to the area to try to locate any other victims that may be out there," said Paul Reinsch, who is with the local emergency task force.
"It's as if everything that was in the path of the tornado was destroyed," he told CTV News Channel earlier on Monday.
To make matters worse, poor weather has been impeding search and rescue efforts, he said.
The tornado struck Joplin on Sunday evening and quickly ripped through the city centre, destroying churches, schools, homes and businesses.
Gov. Jay Nixon said Monday that more victims may be identified in the hours ahead. But he said officials would do everything in their power to locate survivors who are trapped within the rubble of Joplin's fallen buildings and post-tornado ruins.
"We are working hard to make sure that survivors are found," Nixon told CNN during a telephone interview on Monday morning.
Fire chief Mitch Randles said the tornado "cut the city in half," damaging at least a quarter of its structures, including a multi-storey hospital that appeared to suffer a direct hit in the disaster.
The local Joplin High School was flattened by the tornado, leaving ruins that principal Kerry Sachetta said made it look like the school had been hit by a bomb.
"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked liked," said Sachetta.
"I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw."
Jasper County emergency management director Keith Stammer said an estimated 2,000 buildings were damaged in the storm.
Those who survived the disaster described the shock of seeing the city torn apart by the storm.
"There was a loud huffing noise, my windows started popping. I had to get downstairs, glass was flying. I opened a closet and pulled myself into it," said Jeff Lehr, a local news reporter who spoke to The Associated Press after the tornado hit.
"Then you could hear everything go. It tore the roof off my house, everybody's house. I came outside and there was nothing left."
City councillor Bill Scearce said Joplin residents are waking up Monday to a new reality where "everything's gone," on the south side of the city where the tornado hit.
"It's just unbelievable how strong this storm was," Scearce told CTV News Channel during a telephone interview on Monday morning.
For now, a state of emergency is in effect and Scearce said Joplin has been receiving assistance from more than 40 cities that have sent in their police, fire and ambulance staff to help out in the aftermath of the disaster.
Joplin lies about 225 kilometres south of Kansas City. The city has a population of about 50,000 people.
With files from The Associated Press
