At least 12 people were killed when tornadoes struck the south-western states of Oklahoma and Arkansas overnight Wednesday, media reports said, citing local officials, DPA reported.
Eight people were killed in Oklahoma when several tornadoes smashed through the suburbs of the capital Oklahoma City.
The other fatalities were reported in the neighbouring state of Arkansas.
The newest deaths came as meanwhile the death toll from the massive killer tornado in Joplin, Missouri rose to 125, according to the television news network CNN. Hundreds of people in the city were still missing.
Since the 1.6-kilometre-wide twister ravaged Joplin Sunday afternoon, a total of 17 people have been rescued from the wreckage, according to media reports. The death toll made it one of the 10 deadliest tornadoes in US history.