Storm victims in Kentucky and Missouri are digging through tornado-stricken neighborhoods after severe weather swept through parts of the Midwest and South, leaving more than two dozen people dead.

Tornadoes and sever storms hit several parts of the US on Friday, leaving at least 23 dead and thousands of buildings damaged.

Aerial images showed scenes of destruction in Laurel County, Kentucky, with entire blocks of houses reduced to splinters, and cars and pickup trucks left battered or crushed in a tornado's wake.