Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the U.S., wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states.

Eleven storm-related fatalities were reported in the Missouri counties of Ozark, Butler, Wayne and Jefferson, the state highway patrol said. Three people were confirmed dead in Independence County, Arkansas, the state's emergency management division said. Four were reported dead in Texas, officials said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the severe weather threat will linger through Sunday from Florida northward into the upper Ohio River Valley, forecasters warned.