A devastating storm system brought widespread destruction and loss of life to parts of the US on Saturday, as violent tornadoes and wildfires swept across several states.

Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in a statement, said three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state. “We have teams out surveying the damage from last night’s tornadoes and have first responders on the ground to assist,” Sanders said.

The storm system, which brought hurricane-force winds and triggered deadly dust storms, resulted in at least 17 deaths and scores of homes decimated. Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state, with at least 11 deaths reported.

Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County described the scene of one of the tornadoes, saying, “It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field… The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”

Tad Peters, who was traveling with his father, Richard Peters, recounted their harrowing experience, saying, “That wasn’t the ideal situation I would have liked to have been in with a tornado going over us… But what can you do?”

Governor Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency, along with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who made the declaration in anticipation of severe weather moving in later Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota, with snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches expected. Winds gusting to 60 mph were expected to cause whiteout conditions.

Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. Nearly 300 homes were damaged or destroyed. Governor Kevin Stitt said at a news conference that some 266 square miles had burned in his state.

Charles Daniel, a truck driver, described the conditions, saying, “This is terrible out here… There’s a lot of sand and dirt in the air. I’m not pushing it over 55 mph. I’m scared it will blow over if I do.”

Experts said it’s not unusual to see such weather extremes in March. The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs on Saturday.

Sanders said the state was working to assist those affected by the storms. Huckabee Sanders added that the state was prepared to respond to the severe weather.