
A Tornado Watch has been issued in four states after 53 twisters touched down in the Midwest overnight, leaving one dead and more than 130 others injured, as every county in Oklahoma is under a state of emergency.

'First Tornado Watch of the day has been issued,' the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted Tuesday morning. 'It is for parts of New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia until 10pm EDT.'

The weather service urged the public to 'get things in order now' just in case a tornado warning is issued later in the day.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management released a state map that shows all 77 counties in the state under a state of emergency declaration due to flooding, tornadoes and severe storms.

Ohio officials said earlier on Tuesday that several 'rapid-fire' tornadoes left five million people without power in the state alone.

Authorities also confirmed one death in Celina, Ohio, about 75 miles northwest of Dayton.

Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel said that 81-year-old Melvin Dale Hannah died when a Chevrolet Station Wagon was blown into his house while he was sleeping.

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A Tornado Watch has been issued in four states after 53 twister touched down in the Midwest overnight, leaving one dead and more than 130 others injured, as every county in Oklahoma is under a state of emergency. Debris is strewn about the front sidewalks of destroyed homes at the River's Edge apartment complex in Dayton, Ohio

The fourth-grade classrooms are exposed at the Grafton Kennedy Elementary School in Dayton, Ohio

The Northridge Shopping Center on North Dixie Highway in Dayton, Ohio, lies in shambles after the tornado. The shopping center housed a Family Dollar, a strip club, a tax service and many other small businesses

A dog peers out from the door of a home that was destroyed by tornadoes that touched down in Brookville, Ohio

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management released a state map (pictured) that shows all 77 counties in the state under a state of emergency declaration due to flooding, tornadoes and severe storms

Hannah's next-door neighbor, Wendy Knapke, said she watched on as the vehicle was picked up by the tornado, flew over her house and crashed into the back half of Hannah’s home.

Recently widowed, Hannah lived alone and his body was discovered in his bedroom. He was described as 'an incredible father and an incredible man', to the Columbus Dispatch.

Authorities said the most severe damage was reported in Celina. Hazel said there are 'areas that truly look like a war zone' in the city of some 10,000 people.

Weather officials said an EF3 tornado hit Celina, but its speed is still being surveyed.

Celina Fire Chief, Douglas Wolters, said as many as 90 homes have been damaged by the tornadoes that pounded through the region. Wolters estimates that 40 of the homes have significant damage and some were knocked off their foundations.

Most people are staying with family or friends, but some went to a shelter in nearby Coldwater.

'First Tornado Watch of the day has been issued,' the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted Tuesday. 'It is for parts of New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia until 10pm'

Dayton area hospitals have reported at least 64 injuries since a wave of severe storms swept through.

Weather experts said the 52 tornadoes were reported across eight states overnight and residents of Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are still not in the clear as severe weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday.

A tally of storm reports posted online by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center shows that 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 10 in Colorado and nine in Ohio.

Thunderstorms that spun off the Colorado tornadoes dropped hail as large as tennis balls, with pea-size hail reported in the Denver area.

Nebraska was hit with hail more than 2 inches in diameter, and dozens of drivers pulled off Interstate 80 with broken windshields.

Six suspected tornadoes were reported in Iowa, five in Nebraska, four in Illinois, three in Minnesota, while one was reported in Idaho.

At least one person has died and 130 more were injured in Ohio after 'rapid-fire' tornadoes ripped through the state, leaving more than five million people without power. This aerial photo shows damage at the Westbrooke Village Apartment complex in Trotwood, Ohio

Residents of Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, are still not in the clear as severe weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday. This photo shows another aerial view of the Westbrooke Village Apartment building in Trotwood, Ohio

Residents of the Westbrooke Village Apartment in Trotwood, Ohio, are seen gathering items that they were forced to leave behind as they evacuated their homes

Storm damaged homes are seen Tuesday morning after a tornado passed through the area overnight in Brookville, Ohio

A Jeep is surrounded by debris from a destroyed building near Wagner Ford Road in Dayton, Ohio

In Indiana and Ohio specifically, a rapid-fire line of apparent tornadoes tore across the states and were packed so closely together that one crossed the path carved by another.

The storms strew debris so thick that at one point, highway crews had to use snowplows to clear Interstate 75.

At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana through central Ohio suffered damage, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Mayor Hazel said that first responders rescued some people from their homes overnight and were making a third sweep Tuesday to check for anyone else who might be trapped.

'It is devastating,' he added.

Elizabeth Long, a spokeswoman for the Kettering Health Network, said that dozens have been treated at local hospitals for minor injuries.

'We've had injuries ranging form lacerations to bumps and bruises from folks being thrown around in their houses due to the storms,' Long said.

The daunting cleaning up process has already begun for some residents, with debris strewn across one home in Brookville, Oh

A car ensnared in the branches of a collapsed tree outside the ruins of dilapidated Brookville home

A copy of "Wicked" showing a picture of a menacing twister was uncannily found outside of a destroyed Brookville home

A car was damaged by the garage it was parked in after it collapsed during the tornado in Trotwood, Ohio

Deletha Shepard looks at what is left of her house on Tuesday after a tornado tore it's roof off in Trotwood, Ohio

The kitchen cabinets are left standing in Ron and Marlene Snider's home in the Wheatland Acres subdivision in Celina, Ohio

Eight-year-old Hayden Snider finds a way to entertain himself as his family cleans up the debris of his grandparents' home in the Wheatland Acres subdivision in Celina, Ohio

Earlier on Tuesday, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said that 'there's been no real serious injuries' despite the significant damage in the area.

The sheriff asked residents to avoid any areas with damage from the storms.

'There are multiple locations that have sustained extensive damage and the roads in those areas need to be kept clear so that emergency personnel can get through to help those in need,' a statement reads.

According to the sheriff, there are also 'potentially dangerous situations with power lines down, unstable trees and possible gas leaks'.

Dayton Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne also said that it was 'pretty miraculous' that there have been only minor injuries.

Payne attributed the good news to people heeding early warnings. Residents say sirens started going off around 10.30pm Monday ahead of the storm.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley urged residents to check on neighbors, especially those who are housebound.

The power response will require a 'multi-day restoration effort,' utility Dayton Power & Light said in an early morning tweet. The company said 64,000 of its customers alone were without power.

Ohio weatherman lambasts viewers complaining his live tornado bulletin was interrupting The Bachelorette By Sophie Wingate For Dailymail.com Ohio weatherman, Jamie Simpson, lost it on live TV after viewers complained that his severe weather warning was interrupting the reality show 'The Bachelorette' late on Monday. Simpson was giving updates on the tornado, which would go on to ravage the Dayton area later in the night, when he saw complaints pour in on social media. 'We have viewers complaining already, "just go back to the show."' Jamie Simpson lashed out at viewers who complained about his tornado updates interrupting a reality TV show 'No, we're not going back to the show, folks. This is a dangerous situation,' the Fox 45 meteorologist said. Simpson walked on screen to continue his rant facing the camera. 'It's your neighborhood. I'm sick and tired of people complaining about this. Our job here is to keep people safe and that's what we're going to do. 'Some of you complain that this is all about my ego. Stop, ok? Just stop right now. It's not.' Simpson then stormed off screen, snapping: 'I'm done with you people, I really am. This is pathetic.' Advertisement

In a tweet, the city of Dayton urged residents to conserve water after the storms cut power to water plants and pump stations.

'Due to the widespread power outages we are asking all Dayton and Montgomery County customers to conserve water,' the city tweeted.

'We have lost power to both water plants and pump stations. First responders are performing search and rescue operations and debris clearing.'

City Manager Shelley Dickstein later issued a boil advisory for residents. The advisory affects 'all water customers in Dayton and Montgomery County'.

The city also said that generators are being rushed in.

Heartbreaking images showed families visiting what's left of their homes to dig through the debris.

Some found items to take with them, while others wept over the remnants of their houses. Others took photos of the damage and some were seen preparing to clean up their yards.

Republican Gov Mike DeWine visited communities hard-hit by the tornadoes in the Dayton area.

Brookeville resident Rod Moody sweeps nails out of the street in front of his son's home that was destroyed by tornadoes

Susan Smith removes the dishes out of her sister-in-law's home that was also destroyed in the freak weather phenomenon

Erica Bohannon leads reporters through her destroyed apartment on Tuesday morning in Trotwood, Ohio. She said the tornado passed through the area the night before and tore her roof off while she huddled with her son and dog in her bedroom closet

Carl Shackleford Jr carries his father's memorial flag out of a tornado damaged apartment at the Westbrooke Village Apartment complex in Trotwood, Ohio

Jeremy Sutter picks up items from his house on Woodhaven Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday morning

Lins Bui gathers clothing from her home in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday morning. Bui received stitches on her face after being injured by a tornado the night before

Latisha Anderson digs through her personal items in what remains of her home in Dayton, Ohio

Deletha Shepard takes a photo of her house on Tuesday morning after the tornado touched down overnight in Trotwood, Ohio

Ana Parra Marroquin cries in her bedroom at her residence in Dayton, Ohio, after her home was destroyed

Sue Taulbee, 71, watches as her family works to collect memorabilia from her damaged house after a tornado touched down overnight in Brookville, Ohio

Residents in and around Dayton, Ohio, were seen leaving their damaged homes or digging through debris for items just hours after a tornado tore through the area

Residents and volunteers help clear debris from damaged homes resulting from the tornado storm system that passed through the region in Brookville, Ohio

Several tornado warnings have been issued across the Mid-West in the past 48 hours

Among areas he visited is Trotwood, an older Dayton suburb of some 24,500 people, that was hit by a tornado with 140mph winds. The NWS classified the Trotwood tornado as an EF3.

An EF3 is considered a strong tornado that does severe damage, rated on a scale of EF0 through EF5.

During his visits, DeWine spoke with President Donald Trump.

'Storms overnight across Ohio and many other States were very dangerous and damaging. My team continues to update me with reports from emergency managers in the States affected. Listen to your local officials and be resilient. We are with you!' Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

He followed that tweet up with another that said he had just spoken with DeWine.

Ohio mom describes terrifying moment twister ripped her top-floor apartment into pieces as she hid in the bathtub with her son By Sophie Wingate For Dailymail.com Khalil Murray (left), 23, save his mother's life when he threw himself over Shannon Barnes (right), 47, to protect her from the impact and the falling debris An Ohio mother and her son were sheltering in their top-floor apartment Monday night when a tornado ripped the entire roof off their building. Shannon Barnes, 47, was cowering in the bathroom of her top-floor apartment with her son Khalil Murray, 23, when the twister hit the Westbrooke Village complex in Trotwood near Dayton. ‘I was sitting on the tub and Khalil was sitting on the floor and I started hearing the hail hit the window,' she told DailyMail.com. 'All of a sudden the building started shaking. Next thing you know, it took the roof off the building.’ 'You could actually feel the pressure of it,' Barnes said of the terrifying tornado. Murray threw himself over his mother in the bathtub to protect her from the impact and the falling debris. Murray described struggling to breath when the twister hit. Air pressure drops inside the walls of a tornado. 'After I saw the tornado take the roof off I was gasping for air,' he said. 'I was inside of it and I saw lightning inside of it and I couldn't breathe.' The young man said he saved his mother's life. Their home was completely devastated in the night. 'I’ll have to find somewhere to move to because it’s damaged,' Barnes said of her third-floor apartment. 'There’s nothing to go back to.’ Barnes is now staying with her daughter nearby. The 'rapid-fire' tornadoes first touched down in the family's hometown of Trotwood, just outside Dayton, at about 11pm on Monday night. The young man said he saved his mother's life. Their home was completely devastated in the night Advertisement

'@GovMikeDeWine just updated me on the devastation from the many tornadoes that struck Ohio early this morning. My Administration fully supports the people of the great State of Ohio as they begin the cleanup and recovery,' Trump wrote.

Trotwood Mayor Mary McDonald reports extensive, 'catastrophic damage'.

She said five busloads of displaced residents have been taken to a church offering temporary shelter while the American Red Cross assesses needs.

McDonald says the community is getting a lot of help and support from federal, state, and local agencies, adding that 'we need that level of support'.

Trotwood's Hara Arena, idled in recent years after decades as a popular sports and entertainment venue, sustained 'a huge amount of damage'.

Actor Rob Lowe, a Dayton native, tweeted on Tuesday: 'Praying for my hometown.'

President Donald Trump spoke with Republican Gov Mike DeWine, of Ohio, on Tuesday. Trump tweeted: 'My Administration fully supports the people of the great State of Ohio as they begin the cleanup and recovery'

Lorraine Hoeft picks through her belongings scattered across her yard after the tornado touched down in Charles City, Iowa, and destroyed her family's home on Monday

The living room of Doug and Lorraine Hoeft's Charles City home was destroyed. Dirt and debris is seen scattered all over the living space

A tornado ripped the front off of a two-story home on Johnsville Brookville Road in Brookville, Ohio

A building on the Floyd County Fairgrounds site in Charles City, Iowa, is seen leveled after a tornado touched down in the area on Monday

Property and tree damage was extensive in Pendleton, Indiana, where a tornado landed overnight

Daniel Williams, of Clayton, Ohio walks through his damaged house after a tornado touched down overnight

Neighbors in Clayton, Ohio, gather belongings after houses were damaged during the devastating tornado

Members of a search and rescue team inspect homes in Trotwood, Ohio, Tuesday. One crew member is seen standing on top of what's left of the home

Weather experts said 51 tornadoes (depicted in this graphic) were reported across eight states overnight and residents of Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, are still not in the clear as severe weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 10 in Colorado and nine in Ohio. Six suspected tornadoes were reported in Iowa, five in Nebraska, four in Illinois, three in Minnesota, while one was reported in Idaho

CATASTROPHIC WEATHER ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND MIDWEST STATES CAUSES 11 DEATHS IN TWO WEEKS The devastating storms began earlier this month when they bombarded the central US and produced dozens of destructive tornadoes, massive hail and damaging winds. MAY 17-19: TORNADO ALLEY, NORTH DAKOTA DOWN TO TEXAS: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Prediction Center (SPC), more than 30 tornadoes touched down in Nebraska and Kansas on May 17. Texas had at least six and one touched down in Oklahoma. At the time, the National Weather Service said that there were areas hit with 'strong tornadoes, significant damaging winds and very large hail'. Tornado Alley - from North Dakota down to Texas - was the most impacted by the dangerous weather but 18 states in total and roughly 40 million residents were at risk One tornado hit Sheridan, Illinois and hail as big as golf balls was reported to have fallen not far from Chicago. By May 18, at least 8 large tornadoes had touched down primarily in Texas while another was reported to have ravaged Oklahoma. Throughout that weekend, a total of 18 states with 40 million people were affected by the storm systems. MAY 20: OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS THREATENED BY MORE STORMS Tornadoes were spotted in Texas and Oklahoma on May 20 as some two million people across a broad swath of both states braced against the US National Weather service's warning that the risk of twisters in the region was at the highest level they had seen in years. At the time, a tornado warning was issued for Reno, Kingfisher and Okarche in Oklahoma. A funnel cloud was also spotted in Paducah, Texas. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center issued the highest threat level possible, of a 5 out of 5, for violent tornadoes on May 20. Soon after the tornado threat was over, the threat of a flash flood in Oklahoma increased. Storm cells that developed followed one after the other in what is called 'training,' leading to scattered reports of flash flooding that night. MAY 21: TORNADOES IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, KANSAS AND MISSOURI AND SNOW IN COLORADO Four million residents were under a flash flood 'emergency warning' on May 21, including in Oklahoma, where as much as five feet of water entered homes in Hominy, to the northeast of the state. Some 22 tornadoes were reported across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Rescue crews in boats pulled at least 50 people from flood waters as heavy downpours inundated roads and homes. Meanwhile in Colorado, snow was falling - the latest it has fallen in more than four decades - leaving houses and cars covered and roads coated in black ice. Four million residents were under a flash flood 'emergency warning' on May 21, including in Oklahoma, where as much as five feet of water entered homes in Hominy, to the northeast of the state. Meanwhile in Colorado, snow (pictured) was falling - the latest it has fallen in more than four decades - leaving houses and cars covered and roads coated in black ice MAY 22: SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY OF TORNADOES IN THE MIDWEST Last week, this dangerous storm system in the Midwest produced dozens of tornadoes for the second consecutive day, leaving two dead, demolishing a racetrack grandstand and damaging a wild animal park. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said an SUV skidded across the center of US 160 and struck a tractor-trailer, killing Brandon Beasley, 23, and his 24-year-old wife, Christin, of Willard, Missouri, who were in the SUV. Missouri Gov Mike Parson declared a state of emergency, citing worsening flood concerns and soil inundation. The severe weather started in the Southern Plains on May 20 and moved to the northeast. Missouri and parts of Illinois and Arkansas were in the cross-hairs by Tuesday. At this point, some 37 tornadoes had been reported across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Those include the previous 22 tornadoes on May 21. Two barges broke loose and floated swiftly down the swollen Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma on May 22. MAY 22 INTO MAY 23: VIOLENT MISSOURI TORNADO Late Wednesday night, the tornado touched down in Jefferson City, causing heavy damage in Missouri's capital city. The tornado was blamed for three deaths, and it also left several people trapped in the wreckage of their homes. The service reported at the time that a 'confirmed large and destructive tornado' was observed over Jefferson City at 11.43pm on Wednesday. Missouri Public Safety confirmed in a tweet that three people were killed in the Golden City area of Barton County, and several injured in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County. At this point, the death toll from the week's storms included a 74-year-old woman found early Wednesday morning in Iowa. Missouri authorities said heavy rain was a contributing factor in the deaths of two people in a traffic accident Tuesday near Springfield. A fourth weather-related death may have occurred in Oklahoma, where the Highway Patrol said a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade Tuesday near Perkins, about 45 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. Officials reported a total of seven deaths, including the three deaths in Jefferson City. MAY 24: DEATH TOLL INCREASES AS FLOOD FEARS RISE The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday in a submerged vehicle near the Mississippi River in Missouri, bringing the death toll to nine from storms that have ravaged the central US. John Reinhardt, 20, and Caitlin Frangel, 19, both of Hazelwood, Missouri, were reported missing on May 15. Their bodies were found around 4am on a flooded rural road that runs along the river at Portage Des Sioux, about 40 miles north of St Louis. Heavy rain in recent weeks spurred major flooding in several states. Flooding along the Arkansas River threatened communities from Tulsa into western Arkansas through the holiday weekend, as water released from an Oklahoma dam combined with additional rain. MAY 26: TORNADOES CONTINUE AND THE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 11 The devastating weather continued for the entire week and into the weekend as two more people were killed when a tornado tore through El Reno, Oklahoma, Saturday night. The American Budget Value Inn in El Reno was decimated by the tornado. More than 30 people were reportedly inside the hotel when the twister struck. Witnesses said they saw people being pulled from the rubble of the hotel in the aftermath. A nearby mobile home park that was also in the tornado's path was completely destroyed. It remains unclear how many people were injured. Before Saturday's deaths were reported, the death toll from the storms across the Central and Midwest states was at nine. More than 30 people were inside the hotel when the tornado struck. Pictured are emergency workers checking what is left of the second floor of the hotel. Two people were killed, bringing the death toll to 11 Advertisement

Drone footage showed large, modern homes in Celina obliterated by the tornado while ones right next door dodged its fury.

Kylie Post, a Celina resident, said that when she heard tornado sirens start blaring, she and her son took shelter in a bathtub and covered themselves with a mattress - because their house has no basement.

'The first thing I heard was the sirens. Then, next it sounded almost like a train was near us that lasted for only a few minutes,' Post told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Multiple schools in the area were closed or had delayed starts Tuesday.

Towns just outside Dayton, Ohio, took some of the heaviest hits.

In Vandalia, about 10 miles directly north of Dayton, Francis Dutmers and his wife were headed for the basement and safety Monday night when the storm hit with 'a very loud roar'.

'I just got down on all fours and covered my head with my hands,' said Dutmers, who said the winds blew out windows around his house, filled rooms with storm debris, and took down most of his trees.

But he and his wife were not injured and the house is still livable, he said.

Vandalia's school system tweeted that it is ending the year two days early because of building damage.

Community members bring cases of water, make meals and gather toiletries at Ladder 76 in Brookville

Chad Dawson and his daughter, Alex, take a break from removing debris from a family friend's home in Brookeville

Dayton, Ohio, residents and visitors walk through debris at the River's Edge apartment complex

Pedestrians pass along storm debris on North Dixie Drive in Dayton, Ohio. The roof on this building collapsed onto trucks that were parked underneath

Homes stand damaged after a tornado passed through the area overnight in Brookville, Ohio

In Brookville, west of Dayton, the storm tore roofs off schools, destroyed a barn and heavily damaged houses. This photo shows the Brookville High School

A section of roof was torn off of Brookville High School (pictured) after the tornado ripped through the area overnight in Brookville, Ohio

Storm damage litters a residential neighborhood in Vandalia, Ohio. Authorities are currently surveying damage in several areas

Search and rescue markings on a car indicate it has been searched in Trotwood, Ohio,

In Harrison Township fire chief Mark Lynch said that the town appeared to be hit by 'World War III' and that it will take 'several years of rebuilding'.

The NWS tweeted Monday night that a 'large and dangerous tornado' hit near Trotwood, Ohio, eight miles northwest of Dayton.

Several apartment buildings were damaged or destroyed. Emergency crews started going door-to-door in the middle of the night and into Tuesday morning to help anyone trapped by debris in Indiana and Ohio.

Police scanners indicated that dozens of people trapped in their homes and needed help.

Madison County Emergency Management spokesman Todd Harmeson said least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton and the nearby community of Huntsville.

Seven people were reported injured in the storm in Pendleton.

Authorities said roads in Pendleton, about 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis, are blocked with trees, downed power lines and utility poles. Pendleton High School is open as a shelter.

Madison County Emergency Management spokesman Todd Harmeson said there were no serious injuries reported from the tornadoes there and in nearby Huntsville.

The weather service also found damage northeast of Huntsville that was caused by an EF2 tornado, a significant twister that packs wind speeds of 111-135mph.

The NWS said a survey team will investigate damage in Madison County and possibly in Henry County. Another team may survey damage in Tippecanoe County.

The 'large and dangerous' tornado (pictured) wreaked havoc after touching down near Dayton, Ohio, late Monday night

Photos taken by residents showed severely damaged homes, and trees and downed power lines

Some 5 million people were without power early Tuesday in Ohio alone. Residents are seen walking through debris as they try to enter their residence at the Westbrooke Village Apartment building in Trotwood, Ohio

Two tornadoes hit the metro area of Dayton, Ohio, on Monday night in the span of just 30 minutes apart, according to the NWS.

The aftermath left some lanes of Interstate 75 blocked north of Dayton.

Trucks with plows were scraping tree branches and rubble to the side to get the major north-south route reopened, according to Matt Bruning, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Bruning said that trying to clear the debris in the middle of the night is a difficult task, complicated by darkness and downed power lines.

He said tow trucks would eventually have to deal with damaged vehicles along the road.

'We'll do a more thorough cleaning after we get lanes opened,' he told the Associated Press by text early Tuesday, noting that tow trucks would have to haul off damaged vehicles along the roadway, too.

In Brookville, west of Dayton, the storm tore roofs off schools, destroyed a barn and heavily damaged houses. Classes were canceled.

In Montgomery County, Sheriff Streck said many roads were impassable.

The sheriff's office initially said the Northridge High School gymnasium would serve as an emergency shelter in Dayton but later said it wasn't useable.

A car is covered with debris that was ripped from an apartments building after a tornado touched down overnight in Trotwood, Ohio

Storm damage litters a residential neighborhood as fire fighters and city crews work to assess damage

Trailers are seen overturned following a tornado in the Northridge suburb of Dayton, Ohio

Debris sits in the front yard of a house on Rolfe Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday morning following a devastating tornado

A resident assesses tornado damage on Rolfe Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday morning

At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana through central Ohio suffered damage, according to the NWS.

Another reported tornado touched down just east of Dayton at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

When another tornado struck around 75 miles away in Circleville, Ohio, just before 1am the agency warned residents to 'take cover'.

One tornado was described as 'large and dangerous'. It wreaked havoc in western Ohio after tearing through buildings and causing widespread damage.

The first destructive tornado first touched down in the city of Trotwood, just outside Dayton, at about 11pm on Monday night before moving through the state.

At the time, the NWS described the tornado as 'extremely dangerous' and warned residents to remain in their shelters as it tore through the heavily populated area.

'This is a life threatening situation', the NWS warned in a tweet.

The agency also told residents to 'take cover' in two nearby counties.

'RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO. TAKE COVER IF YOU ARE IN SOUTHEAST PICKAWAY COUNTY OR SOUTHWEST FAIRFIELD COUNTY!!!' a spokesman tweeted.

Weather officials reported signs on their radars of debris being lifted tens of thousands of feet when the first tornado touched down.

Photos taken by residents showed severely damaged homes and buildings as well as downed trees and power lines.

A street sign is bent over after an EF3 tornado hit Trotwood, an older Dayton suburb of some 24,500 people. The tornado brought 140mph winds to the area. An EF3 is considered a strong tornado that does severe damage, rated on a scale of EF0 through EF5

A car and truck were crushed under a fallen tree in a Trotwood, Ohio, neighborhood

Debris litters a street in Trotwood, Ohio, near Dayton, after powerful tornadoes ripped through the US state overnight

Pedestrians pass along storm debris on North Dixie Drive, Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, the day after a tornado struck the city

Family and neighbors in Clayton, Ohio, gather belongings after the tornado destroyed their cars and their homes

Firefighters and rescue crews go house-to-house to search for anyone trapped or injured following the powerful tornadoes

The NWS reported that some residents were trapped in collapsed buildings in several areas with firefighters and EMTs having difficulty reaching the scenes due to debris in the roads and power lines blocking highways.

There were reports of houses being cut in half and others that were completely flattened.

The steeple of the New Life Worship Center in Dayton snapped off when one tornado tore through. Part of the center's roof was also torn off and landed in the car park.

About 25 people, including children, were reported to be hiding in the church at the time.

Soon after the tornado struck the Dayton metro area, there were reports of severe, tornado-producing thunderstorms striking the same areas and multiple tornado warnings were put in place for Montgomery County.

The weather service issued several tornado warnings for cities outside Daytona and urged residents to be vigilant as the night went on.

Multiple warnings were still in place after midnight, including for Cedarville, Wilberforce and Jamestown.

The devastation in Ohio comes after a week of tornadoes in Missouri and Oklahoma.

Early Tuesday morning, the president tweeted his support for tornado survivors in Oklahoma, where two people were killed and 29 were injured by a twister that struck a motel and mobile home park over the weekend.

Trump tweeted: 'Spoke with @GovStitt of Oklahoma last night from Japan because of the devastating tornadoes. Told him that @FEMA and the federal government are fully behind him and the great people of Oklahoma.'

In Tulsa, officials were monitoring the Arkansas River after the US Army Corps of Engineers raised the flow at the upriver Keystone Dam by 65 per cent since last week to 275,000 cubic feet per second.

The heavier flow is testing two aging levees in Tulsa, the city said.

Flooded areas of Arkansas and Oklahoma are currently bracing for more rain that will feed the already swollen Arkansas River, forecasters said on Monday.

Last week a tornado packing speeds of 160mph tore through Jefferson City in Missouri.

At the time, Missouri Public Safety confirmed in a tweet that three people were killed in the Golden City area of Barton County, and several injured in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County

Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri have all activated National Guard units to respond to the storms.

The tornado struck the city of Trotwood, just outside Dayton, at about 11pm on Monday night

Power lines and trees were downed and debris was scattered across roads in Beavercreek, Ohio, after a tornado struck

The most severe damage was reported in the Dayton metro area and Celina, about 60 miles north-west of Dayton (home pictured in the area)

Emergency crews started going door-to-door in the middle of the night and into Tuesday morning to check on residents in Indiana and Ohio (pictured is the inside of a home in Dayton)