At least 10 dead as storms lash the US, leaving millions without power

At least 10 people have died as a wild storm sweeps across the US, bringing travel chaos and severe disruption from the South to the Northeast corners of America.  

Golf ball-sized hail and tornadoes wreaked havoc as a severe weather front made landfall this week, which has toppled trucks and left millions without power across several states. 

Further torrential rain and heavy snowfall is expected into next week, as states including Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas are still reeling from the destruction.

Californians in the San Bernadino Valley have been warned to avoid the mountains after 17 feet of snow was dumped in the region, leaving residents trapped. 

And at least three Kentuckians have died in the chaos, with officials reporting other deaths in Alabama, Mississippi and California. 

Severe weather and high winds have wreaked havoc across the US. Pictured: The roof of a La Azteca grocery store in Little Elm Texas collapsed Thursday amid powerful thunderstorms

California has been blanketed by up to 17 feet of snow amid the weather chaos 

LA residents have experienced the rare sight of the famous Hollywood sign adorned in snow

Millions have been left without power as a weather front continues to sweep across numerous states

More than 60 million people were under threat of severe storms Friday, with a further 20 million from Texas to Pennsylvania currently under high wind alerts. 

The wide-ranging storm has left millions stranded in their homes, as large numbers of residents in Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Alabama all left without power, according to PowerOutage.us. 

One of the deaths in Kentucky reportedly occurred after a tree fell onto a vehicle, while the strong winds have also sent trailer trucks flying across the Midwest. 

Southern Indiana is also among the regions experiencing the severe weather, which has blown from Texas and up both US coasts. 

The National Weather Service said the storm will continue to push north through the weekend, producing ‘a swath of heavy snow from the Upper Midwest through New England’. 

‘Significant sleet and freezing rain is possible just south of the heaviest snow,’ it added. 

Travel chaos is expected to hamper residents from the Upper Midwest through the Great Lakes into next week, with further power outages possible, according to the forecaster. 

Widespread torrential rain has fallen across the Midwest since Thursday night, with between three and five inches already recorded this week. 

Flash flood warnings have been introduced across 400 miles stretching from Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. 

More than 20 million people are under flood watches heading into the weekend.  

‘Prolonged heavy rainfall rates associated with training showers and thunderstorms may also lead to flash flooding throughout much of the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys stretching eastward into the Mid-Atlantic,’ the Weather Prediction Center said Friday morning.

Significant damage has been seen across the US as a wild weather front sweeps the nation. Pictured: A damaged house in the aftermath of a tornado in Jackson Parish, Louisiana

Significant damage has been seen across the US as a wild weather front sweeps the nation. Pictured: A damaged house in the aftermath of a tornado in Jackson Parish, Louisiana

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Large numbers of trees have also fallen due to the high winds, which has caused the deaths of several people

San Bernadino, California’s State Route 38 is seen covered in snow with high snowbanks along the treelined road Thursday

The Big Bear Mountain Resort in the San Bernadino Mountains received more than 11 feet of snow

The Storm Prediction Center also issued a tornado warning for more than eight million people across southwest Virginia, eastern Tennessee, Louisiana, North and South Carolina and northern Georgia. 

Severe destruction has been reported across the US in recent days, including a 55mph tornado confirmed Saturday in Reidland, Kentucky.

Wind gusts also led to the death of a man in Talladega County, Alabama Friday after a tree fell on 70-year-old Allen Cooley’s truck with him inside. 

Up to a foot of snow may be experienced on both US coasts throughout the coming days, as New York and New England are predicted between six and 12 inches while the West Coast continues to suffer heavy snowfall. 

Freezing rain and sleet is also expected to hammer New England and the surrounding areas, which has already seen golf-ball sized hail hit several states. 

In California, residents in the San Bernadino Mountains have been trapped for more than a week after 17 feet of snow fell in the area. 

Sheriff Shannon Dicus warned the public to ‘stay out of the local mountains’ as deputies are still tirelessly working to save those trapped in the conditions. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to help with the recovery, with supplies in the area reportedly running low in the state by mid-week. 

‘There are roofs collapsing everywhere, people are needing assistance and rescues. All of the stores are running low on food and water supplies. The gas stations barely have any gas,’ Lake Arrowhead resident Miyah Nelson told KTLA.

‘We need our roads cleared so that way people can get out of their homes. They’re all trapped.’ 

An avalanche struck an apartment building in the area around 7pm on Tuesday, according to the Sierra Sun, and numerous pictures from across the state showed people snowed in with walls of white climbing above doors and up to second-story windows.