Several tornadoes touched down in Texas on Sunday, destroying homes and leaving at least eight people dead, as the region grapples with severe weather that has left death and destruction in its wake across several states.

A tornado touched down in Garland, near Dallas, in the evening on Sunday, and residents later reported seeing at least four twisters tear across the area, cutting power lines and leaving tens of thousands of people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the dark.

In the case of all five deaths reported in Garland, people were blown off the road, presumably after getting caught in the storm while driving.

A tumultuous week

The Texas tornadoes come days after severe floods and storms struck other parts of the southern US. In total, 17 people were killed in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas as tornadoes and floods ripped through neighborhoods, tearing down infrastructure and uprooting trees.

At least 20 tornadoes hit Mississippi alone on Wednesday, stranding more than 8,000 homes without electricity. More extreme weather was being forecast, with experts warning of travel delays and flooded roads.

Forecasters said the bad weather was caused by humid air from the Gulf of Mexico colliding with colder air from Canada.

blc/bk (AP, AFP)