"Our thoughts and prayers are with the community and those affected," Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said in a statement. "State Emergency Management was monitoring severe weather in the region and was prepared to respond to any situation. We have already deployed strike teams and resources, and this community should know that the full weight and support of the state of Missouri is behind you."

More than 20 tornadoes have been confirmed from the outbreak, and survey teams from the National Weather Service had more work to do Thursday. Governors toured damaged towns and vowed to help citizens in every step of the lengthy recovery.

"Johnson was apparently working in the backyard with his spouse, Toby Johnson, and Toby's father, Wayne Tuntland, 76, of Ottawa ," Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said in a release obtained Wednesday night by the Peoria Journal Star. "Tuntland was pronounced dead at the residence after a tree was uprooted, landing on him, his son Toby, and Johnson. Toby was treated and released this morning from St. Elizabeth's in Ottawa."

David Johnson, 31, died of injuries sustained during the tornado that hit Ottawa, Illinois , officials told CBS Chicago. Officials said Johnson was critically injured by the same falling tree that killed the father of his spouse, 76-year-old Wayne Tuntland. Johnson's family told CBS Chicago that he pushed his spouse, Toby, out of the path of the falling tree just before it crashed down onto David and Wayne.

Residents began the long process to clean up the damage left behind by a tornado outbreak that hit the Midwest, and on Wednesday evening, officials announced the death toll had risen to four.

Newly released footage from inside a health center in Sioux Falls shows the damage done by an EF-2 tornado that struck the city one year ago.

Near Perryville, Missouri, at least a dozen vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, were blown off Interstate 55 Tuesday after a tornado was spotted in the area, according to KFVS-TV. One person died and several were injured , KTVI-TV reported. The victim was identified as a 24-year-old male from Perryville , according to the Southeast Missourian.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Justin Wheatley told the Associated Press that more than 100 homes in the area were left uninhabitable by the tornado. A damage survey revealed the tornado was at least EF3 in strength, the NWS announced Wednesday evening. Officials said the tornado was in progress for up to 15 miles. More damage would be surveyed in the area Thursday.

"It's mind-boggling, I can't believe what I'm seeing ," Hank Voelker, a Perry County resident and leader of the local emergency management agency, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It's like a bomb went off."

In Ottawa, a town of about 19,000 located 80 miles southwest of Chicago, 14 people were transported to a local hospital with injuries following the tornado, WLS-TV reported.

Just west of Ottawa, the LaSalle County Nursing Home sustained significant damage from the tornado. A woman answering the telephone at the nursing home told the AP that several residents reported bumps and bruises but no serious injuries.

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Residents surveyed the damage after the storm passed, and those who didn't lose everything counted their blessings.

"We fared pretty well compared to other people ," Ottawa resident Anne Houk told the Chicago Tribune. "We're thankful for the brick. The three little pigs did it right, I guess."

A man was found dead in a field behind his heavily damaged home in Crossville, Illinois, Mark Pierce, the public works supervisor in the town, told CNN. The man's wife sustained injuries in the storm and was taken to a local hospital. The tornado was given a preliminary rating of EF3 by the NWS.

In Naplate, Illinois, Fire Chief John Nevins told the News Tribune that about one-quarter of all structures in the town of 500 residents were damaged by an EF3 twister that packed winds up to 155 mph.

"It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible," Naplate resident Penny Terry told the News Tribune. "I went into the bathtub and saved myself and that's how I survived."

In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, emergency crews scrambled to free residents trapped inside damaged homes, the report added. In Naplate, only minor injuries were reported, Nevins said.

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Another EF3 tornado was confirmed in Washburn, Illinois, a town of about 1,200 located 25 miles northeast of Peoria. A preliminary survey estimated 160 mph winds with this twister, among the strongest confirmed so far.

Gov. Bruce Rauner toured the damage and spoke to the media Wednesday in northern Illinois. On Thursday, he plans to visit towns in southern Illinois hit hardest by the outbreak.

In Arkansas, White County Office of Emergency Management said 10 people were injured and at least 40 homes were damaged when a possible tornado touched down. Hardest-hit by the damaging storm were the towns of Higginson and Kensett, the AP reported.

The NWS determined two tornadoes were in progress in the county Tuesday – an EF1 in Higginson and an EF2 in Kensett.

Overnight in Indiana, a tornado that was given a preliminary rating of EF2 slammed the town of Ireland, a small town about 80 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky. There were no reports of injuries in Dubois County, but injuries were reported elsewhere after the storm passed , according to the Dubois County Herald.

"I know I’ve got three homes totaled," Dubois County Emergency Management Agency Director Tammy Humbert told the Herald. "They are not going to be able to live in them. Their roofs are just completely removed."

Near Poseyville, Indiana, a separate tornado was given a preliminary rating of EF3.

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Three EF1 tornadoes were confirmed in southwestern Michigan from Tuesday night. These twisters hit the towns of Niles, Dowagiac and Vandalia, destroying several homes.

Survey crews confirmed the twisters were packing peak winds of 105-110 mph when they struck. All three occurred within 21 minutes Tuesday night.

Dangerous Weather Persisted into Wednesday, Thursday

On Wednesday, the storms moved east but continued to rip apart homes and other buildings in their path. A pair of tornadoes were to blame for several reports of structural damage in areas south and east of Nashville, Tennessee. In the Cool Springs area, a confirmed tornado left structural damage and widespread power outages , the Tennessean reported.

A 12-year-old boy was injured in Clarksville, Tennessee, when a tree fell on his home Wednesday morning, the AP reported via the Leaf-Chronicle.

The NWS surveyed the damage and found an EF1 tornado hit the Cool Springs area, while a separate EF1 was confirmed in Davidson County, near Cane Ridge Park. Both ratings were preliminary as of Wednesday afternoon. A third EF1 tornado was confirmed in Wilson County.

In Kentucky, a Madison County resident was injured after being struck by debris Wednesday morning, officials told the AP. Structural damage was reported in Madison, Lee and Estill counties, and thousands lost power due to the storms, the report added.

High water or flooding concerns were reported on various roadways from southwestern Ohio up toward Cleveland. Homes in Leesburg, Ohio, were damaged by a possible tornado, but there were no serious injuries, the report added.

The storms pushed into the Northeast on Thursday morning, and strong winds knocked out power to more than 40,000 customers across New York, the AP reported. Lengthy flight delays were reported Thursday morning at New York City's La Guardia Airport, where one day earlier, a lightning strike was believed to be responsible for damage to a runway that had to be shut down.