Mid-May is living up to its reputation for severe weather as an active weather pattern brings the threat of strong tornadoes, damaging hail and intense, destructive wind gusts over multiple days.

At least 27 people were reported dead across several states in an expansive outbreak of severe weather from the Heartland to the East Coast -- with more potentially powerful storms in the forecast for Saturday.

A violent, tornado-spawning storm system tore across the central US, leaving at least 25 people dead in Missouri and southeastern Kentucky as it cut a path of destruction through several states.