At least eight people were killed in the midwestern United States Sunday as a series of tornadoes swept through the region leaving behind a wake of destruction, CNN television reported.
The network said seven people were found dead in northcentral Iowa, in the towns of Parkersburg and New Hartford when a tornado passed at about 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).
Marble-sized hail also fell over Waterloo, where authorities reported significant damage to homes, trees and power lines, the report said.
Iowa Governor Chet Culver declared a state of disaster in three counties.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, a separate twister killed a two-year-old child and seriously injured nine other people in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, CNN said.