A tornado ripped through North Carolina in the United States on Tuesday, killing at least three people, reported AFP quoting officials. The twister tore into the southern part of the state late Monday, particularly impacting two coastal communities in Brunswick County. Releasing a statement, Brunswick County Emergency Services said three people have died due to the tornado and there were 10 confirmed injuries.

More than 50 houses were damaged and people have reported power outage in the city. According to the local media, trees have been uprooted and cars have been damaged.

Sheriff John Ingram told a press conference there would “be a long recovery process”. “This is something unlike I’ve ever seen,” he said, cited by US media.

Elsewhere across the United States, much of the country remained gripped by a deadly cold snap fuelled by frigid Arctic air that has brought record low temperatures. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) said a new winter storm was emerging in the Southern Plains area — which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

The NWS on Monday warned of an “unprecedented and expansive area of hazardous winter weather” from coast to coast, with more than 150 million Americans under winter weather advisories.

The freezing conditions have killed at least 10 people and have particularly afflicted regions unaccustomed to snow and sleet. 

The PowerOutage.US tracker reported more than 2.7 million people were without power in Texas, where temperatures in the major metropolis of Houston dipped to 16 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 degrees Celsius), well below average February lows of 34.