More than a dozen people are dead in southeastern Kentucky from strong tornadoes May 16 and 17, state and local officials said. Heavy damage was reported in Pulaski and Laurel counties, where Laurel County Sheriff John Root said a tornado tore through the area just before midnight.

Severe storms in Kentucky claimed 18 lives, with 17 fatalities in Laurel County alone from a tornado Friday night.

An unstable spring weather system spawned tornadoes overnight in the U.S. Midwest and Ohio River Valley, killing at least 25 people in Kentucky and Missouri and causing widespread damage to homes and property,