Emergency and rescue teams continue to look for survivors in three states, after various tornadoes hit central and southern states on Sunday.
According to Reuters, at least 18 people lost their lives, 16 of them in Arkansas, one in Oklahoma and another in Iowa, and authorities expect this figure to rise in the coming hours.
The worst damage happened north of Little Rock, Arkansas, where a series of powerful tornadoes devastated the center of Faulkner County, where at least 10 people lost their lives.
Likewise, the U.S. storm season has claimed its first victims, which was not expected by meteorologists and specialists.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said in a press conference that attention is focused on searching and rescuing victims who might be trapped under rubble.
President Barack Obama, who is currently away in a state visit, called Beebe yesterday to receive updated information on the damages in Arkansas and to offer his condolences for the victims who lost their lives, detailed Reuters.
Beebe told the media that it will take some days to estimate the total amount of damages, but emphasized that "Just by observing the damage, this could be the strongest (tornado) we've ever since. Preliminarily, we don't have any records, but this could be the biggest loss of life in a tornado incident since I became Governor," reported Fox News.
Still awaiting official figures, medical sources told Reuters that at least 100 people in Arkansas received attention due to the tornadoes.