At least 100 feared killed by Kentucky tornadoes

At least 100 people are feared to be dead after tornadoes ripped through Kentucky over the weekend, in what U.S. President Joe Biden called one of the largest tornado outbreaks in the nation's history.

Leaving a 200-mile trail of destruction across the American South and Midwest, the powerful twisters leveled much of the town of Mayfield, home to some 10,000 people in southwestern Kentucky.

Janet Kimp's house was obliterated by the storm.

"You know 07, my house burnt completely to the ground. We rebuilt. Then my husband died in 09, and I had to file bankruptcy; I lost everything again. And now, I've lost it all again."

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says nearly 200 National Guard personnel have been deployed to assist with the recovery, while Biden has directed federal resources to be delivered to hardest-hit areas immediately.

"Earlier today, I called the governors of the states that have been experiencing severe impacts of the storms including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri as well as Tennessee."

A nursing home in Arkansas was destroyed while a roof collapsed at an Amazon warehouse near St. Louis, Missouri, killing at least six.

Weather forecasters say unusually high temperatures and humidity created prime conditions for the deadly tornadoes, which are otherwise unusual in cooler months.