President Trump pledges help to affected states, cites 36 deaths National Guard deployed to Arkansas Missouri has highest number of fatalities among six states Power outages affect more than 340,000 consumers Some states still under watch for wind and potential tornadoes March 16 (Reuters) - Portions of Pennsylvania,

The death toll from the tornadoes and violent storms that ravaged the central and southern US over the weekend has risen to 40, local authorities said.

The weakening but still volatile weather system was moving Monday into the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds and the potential for more tornadoes.

Violent tornadoes and high winds decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.

A dynamic storm that prompted foreboding predictions of dangerous weekend weather spawned tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that killed at least 39 people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.

At least seven tornadoes hit Alabama on Saturday, and that number will likely climb even higher later today. The National Weather Service plans to continue looking at storm damage and has several areas that will be visited by storm survey teams today (Monday).

At least three people were confirmed dead in Alabama after a wave of severe storms spawned tornadoes across the state throughout Saturday evening, causing power outages, downed trees and destroyed structures.

The National Weather Service has survey teams out across Alabama on Sunday surveying damage after many tornadoes are reported to have touched down around the state.