Very strong storms called tornadoes have hit two states in America, Kentucky and Missouri. Sadly, at least 21 people have died, and many more have been hurt.

In Kentucky, 14 people lost their lives. In Missouri, 7 people died. Five of those deaths were in a big city called St. Louis.

A tornado hit a place called Laurel County in Kentucky early on Saturday morning. People in charge there said they are worried that more people might have died.

The storm that hit Missouri on Friday caused a lot of damage. About 5,000 buildings were broken. Many houses had their roofs ripped right off. Power lines, which carry electricity, were knocked down.

By Saturday afternoon, about 1.4 million homes in Missouri and Kentucky had no electricity. In St. Louis, helpers are going to every house in the areas hit hardest to look for anyone who might be trapped or hurt.

The Mayor of St. Louis, Kara Spencer, said that 38 people in her area were injured. Most were hurt when buildings fell down or trees fell on them.

People in Kentucky were also seriously hurt. The Sheriff of Laurel County, John Root, said, "We are still looking for people who might be hurt."

The National Weather Service, who watch the weather, said the storm first hit the land near a place called Forest Park, close to St. Louis, around 2:30 in the afternoon.

In one sad event, a church called Centennial Christian Church fell down. Three people were rescued from inside, but one of them later died.

To keep people safe and stop anyone from stealing things, people in the two worst-hit areas were told they had to stay inside their homes from 9 o'clock at night until 6 o'clock in the morning. This is called a curfew.

Mayor Kara Spencer also said, "It's terrible that people died and so much was broken. Our main job right now is to save lives. We're trying to keep people safe. This is a very sad time."

The National Weather Service also said that tornadoes hit another state nearby called Illinois. The bad weather has even affected areas further away, towards the East Coast of the country. People in North Texas were also warned on Saturday that tornadoes might come there.

The part of the country where these storms happened is sometimes called “Tornado Alley.” Tornadoes are quite common there, especially in the months of May and June.

Since the year 2000, Kentucky usually gets about five tornadoes in May. Missouri usually gets about 16 in May.