(Reuters) -At least 21 people were killed overnight in Kentucky and Missouri when a volatile weather system spawned tornadoes as it ripped across a large swath of the U.S. Midwest and Great Lakes, officials said on Saturday.

At least 21 people are dead in Kentucky and Missouri on Saturday after a night of severe weather and tornadoes battered cities large and small across the two states, with officials warning the death toll is likely to rise. At least 14 people have been killed in Kentucky while seven have been reported dead in Missouri, according to state officials.

The Jackson, Kentucky, weather service office recently cut overnight staff but meteorologists were called in to handle the deadly tornado outbreak.