Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.

A deadly tornado outbreak has left at least 17 people dead and numerous others injured as a powerful storm system carves a destructive path across multiple states, now heading toward the East Coast. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued tornado watches early Saturday,

Dozens of tornadoes are reported from thunderstorms that lit up the radar from Wisconsin to Mississippi in the early hours Saturday.