More than 20 dead after tornadoes rake US Midwest and South

Crestview Elementary School teachers Anna Vandiver and Elizabeth Woddell share a hug while visiting the mangled wreckage of their classrooms in Covington, Tennessee (Daily Memphian via AP)

Storms that dropped possibly dozens of tornadoes have killed at least 21 people in small towns and big cities across the US South and Midwest.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital, collapsing the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, and causing widespread damage throughout the region.