Tornadoes ripped through the Midwest leaving at least 11 dead and destroying motels, mobile homes, and houses

• At least 11 people have died after a string of violent storms ripped through buildings across the Midwest.
• Tornadoes hitting wind speeds of up to 160 mph battered cities in Oklahoma and Missouri amid other extreme weather, including rain and hail.
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At least 11 people have died after a string of violent storms swept through the Midwest.

Buildings, hotels, and homes were ripped apart in Missouri and Oklahoma. Now, emergency crews are leading clean-up and rescue missions amid flooding, hail, and major wind gusts.

El Reno, Oklahoma Mayor Matt White said the storms had left behind a “tragic scene.” See the trail of damage drawn through the region ahead of Memorial Day.

Missouri’s Jefferson City was one of the cities that was hit hardest by the string of storms that reached wind speeds of 160 mph and ripped buildings apart across the city.

Source: AccuWeather

After homes and buildings were destroyed and left without power, residents braced for flooding from the Mississippi River.

Source: AccuWeather

Local agencies sprung into clean-up mode amid other extreme weather, including flash flooding, golf ball-sized hail, and gusts over 70 mph.

Source: AccuWeather

Authorities announced that seven people were dead after the storms ripped through the city and destroyed buildings, neighborhoods, and mobile homes.

Source: USA Today

Two people who were found dead Friday after being trapped in a submerged car on a flooded road near St. Louis, Missouri brought the storm's total death toll to nine.

Source: The Associated Press

The second touch down in the string of storms came over Oklahoma.

Source: The Associated Press

At least two people were killed and 29 injured after a tornado leveled a motel and tore through a mobile home park near Oklahoma City overnight Saturday.

Source: The Associated Press

Rescue crews discovered several critical injuries and had a difficult time communicating with nearby residents, many of whom didn't speak English.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt had declared a state of emergency for all 77 of the state's counties one day earlier.

Source: AccuWeather

The declaration came after Stitt saw damage in other areas, and secured federal resources including industrial generators, bottled water, cots, and blankets for affected areas.

Source: AccuWeather

"The thing about El Reno is we are more than a community, we are a family," El Reno Mayor Matt White said Sunday. "We’re going to overcome this."

Source: The Associated Press