More than 20 dead after tornadoes sweep through Kentucky and Missouri

Powerful storms and tornadoes tore through several Midwestern and Southern states overnight Friday, leaving carnage and flattened buildings in their wake.

In Kentucky at least 24 people have died. Authorities say 23 of those deaths occurred in London, Ky., in the southeastern part of the state, with some people still unaccounted for.

A message shortly after 8 a.m. ET from Gov. Andy Beshear called for prayers for the affected families. But less than an hour later, the number of known deaths had already risen by 10.

In Missouri, there are at least seven dead — five in the St. Louis area and two others in a more rural part of the state, south of the capital.

Responders there are still searching homes and buildings for survivors, and officials are asking people to stay out of the impacted areas to allow crews to do their work.

According to PowerOutage.us, the storms left nearly a half million customers without power in dozens of states from Missouri to Maryland.

This is a developing story and will be updated.