<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Huge tornadoes have been barreling through multiple cities in Midwest and south central states since Sunday, leaving widespread destruction in their wake and, at time of writing, a death toll of 18.\u00A0\nSeven perished\u00A0in central Arkansas and\u00A0two\u00A0were killed\u00A0in northeast Oklahoma. The region was still\u00A0on alert\u00A0Monday \u2014 multiple twisters had already hit Mississippi and more devastation was expected as a result.\nSee also: Aerial Drone Footage Shows Extent of Central U.S. Tornado Destruction\nThis is the first time the United States has seen back-to-back high risk days, as designated by the Storm Prediction Center, since May 2011.\u00A0Much of the country's central region, from Nebraska to northern Louisiana, was on high alert through Sunday night with areas in\u00A0Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, northeastern Texas and northern Louisiana at the greatest risk of hard-hitting, long-lasting tornadoes. Sections of Mississippi and Alabama were put on high risk as of Monday afternoon.\nTornado season this year got off to a\u00A0quiet start\u00A0which, according to forecasters, may have led to some complacency in the regions. Despite the slow start, many cities were warned almost half an hour or more to prepare before the tornadoes touched down.\nPresident Obama addressed the disaster from a news conference in the Philippines, saying, \"Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes.\"\nBelow, we've gathered images of the destruction in hard-hit cities in Arkansas and Kansas.\n\n\nTornado Destruction in the Midwest\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHomes and businesses are wrecked in downton Vilonia, Ark. after a tornado struck the town late Sunday. The most powerful tornado this year carved an 80-mile path of destruction through suburbs north of the state capital of Little Rock, killing at least 16 people. \n\nImage: Danny Johnston/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEric Baker and Ron Smith use chainsaws to cut up trees after a strong tornado went through the area on Apr. 27 for the second time in three years in Vilonia, Ark.\n\nImage: Wesley Hitt\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPeople walk between two destroyed houses in Mayflower, Ark. on Apr. 28 after a tornado struck the town late Sunday. A tornado system ripped through several states in the central U.S. and left at least 17 dead in a violent start to this year's storm season.\n\nImage: Danny Johnston/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA home damaged by a tornado stands without a roof in Baxter Springs, Kan., on Apr. 28. Sunday's tornado damaged dozens of buildings and injured at least 25 people.\n\nImage: Orlin Wagner/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLisa Taney, a volunteer, goes through wedding photos found in the mud near a destroyed trailer on Apr. 28 in Vilonia, Ark.\n\nImage: Wesley Hitt\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTwo men stand in front of a destroyed house in Mayflower, Ark. on Apr. 28 after a tornado struck the town late Sunday.\n\nImage: Danny Johnston/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA resident walks under damaged power lines on Apr. 28 after a tornado hit Baxter Springs, Kan.\n\nImage: Orlin Wagner/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClothes, furniture and debris can be seen after a strong tornado went through Vilonia, Arkansas on Apr. 27. \n\nImage: Wesley Hitt\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeah, daughter of Jon Zieske, looks for belongings at her father's house in Paron, Ark., on Monday after a large tornado ripped through the area.\n\nImage: Christina Huynh/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA home is covered by debris on Apr. 28 from a tornado the day before in Baxter Springs, Kan.\n\nImage: Orlin Wagner/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA flag that was found in debris was placed by volunteers working to help clean up after a strong tornado went through the area on Apr. 27 in Vilonia, Ark.\n\nImage: Wesley Hitt\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nResidents walk along a street in Tupelo, Miss., Monday, April 28, 2014. Tornados flattened homes and businesses, flipped trucks over on highways and injured numerous  people in Mississippi and Alabama on Monday. \n\nImage: Thomas Graning/The Daily Mississippian/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSwan Creek Community residents check the weather from the underground shelter in Limestone County, south of Athens, Ala., Monday, April 28, 2014. \n\nImage: Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nConstance Lambert embraces her dog after finding it alive when returning to her destroyed home in Tupelo, Miss., Monday, April 28, 2014. \n\nImage: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJodi Walls pushes a box of belongings out of a friends house while cleaning up after a large tornado made its way along Clayton Ave in Tupelo, Miss., April 28, 2014. \n\nImage: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTeresa Ingram looks for belongings in the debris after a tornado passed through, destroying Billy Barbs mobile home park on April 29, 2014, in Athens, Ala. \n\nImage: Butch Dill/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTornado damaged automobiles clutter the parking lot of the Winston Medical Center in Louisville, Miss., Monday, April 28, 2014. The facility, its parking lot and a neighboring nursing home were among the properties heavily damaged by a tornado. \n\nImage: Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJustin Shaw, left, helps Nick Conway erect a flag pole at his home that was destroyed by a tornado, Monday, April 28, 2014, in Vilonia, Ark. \n\nImage: Eric Gay/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/04/28/tornado-gallery/>