Photos: The aftermath of deadly tornadoes across the southern US

A far reaching storm system that brought powerful winds and rain across the southern US has been blamed for at least eight deaths over the weekend, NBC News reported.

More than a dozen tornados touched down across Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, before the storm moved north, bringing severe weather to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

Photos from over the weekend show catastrophic damage across the southern US, where tornadoes, some with winds reaching 140 miles per hour (225 kph) ripped apart buildings and took down trees.