In Oklahoma a string of rare February tornadoes roared through the central state overnight, knocking out power to thousands of customers and injuring a dozen people.
In Norman, 12 people were taken to the hospital after suffering minor injuries in the storms that rolled through and near the city at around 11 p.m. local time on Sunday. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The twister was one of seven that touched down in Oklahoma and two more were reported in Kansas overnight. Some 13,000 homes and businesses were without power across Oklahoma.
Four additional twisters were reported in Illinois on Monday morning but none caused significant damage.
The rough weather comes after days of a winter storm clobbered the U.S. Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
However, that same storm is looming over the Northeast – causing traffic buildups in Pennsylvania, New York and New England as snowy weather creates hazardous travel conditions. 4 to 8 inches of snowfall is expected in all of these areas throughout Tuesday.