At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the southern US states, ripping roofs off homes, nearly leveling some neighborhoods and knocking out power for thousands, CNN reports.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing, and the Mississippi state government has declared a state of emergency.

President Joe Biden spoke with officials after the deadly tornadoes and said he is “praying for those who have lost loved ones in the devastating tornadoes in Mississippi and for those whose loved ones are missing.”