As dawn broke over Mississippi, a trail of destruction left by powerful tornadoes ripping through the state was laid bare, one town obliterated by the devastating storm. 

At least 23 people were killed across several county's in the region, four remain missing and dozens are injured, as emergency services start the long process of assessing the damage left behind by the 24 twisters. 

Most of the impact spawned from a storm that carved a ferocious path northeastward across Mississippi and Alabama at 80mph, according to AccuWeather.

The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork, about 60 miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi, bore the brunt of damage from a tornado that hit the area just after 8 pm Friday.

Shattered residents were seen wandering through a wasteland of debris in Rolling Fork, as others picked through the rubble of their gutted homes hoping to save what valuables they had left.

As dawn broke a trail of destruction left by powerful tornadoes ripping through Mississippi was laid bare with one town obliterated by the devastating storm

At least 23 people were killed across several county's in the region while four remain missing as emergency services started to assess the damage of the 24 twisters recorded by the storm prediction center

Over 30 million people were under a tornado warning through the evening, and were being warned to brace for the killer storms which brought golf ball-sized hail.

Homes had their roofs ripped off and power lines were downed - leaving victims trapped under rubble and thousands without power.

Authorities warned those in its path to brace for a 'life threatening situation' and on Saturday morning deployed search-and-rescue teams to several county's in the region. 

'I've never seen anything like this,' Rolling Fork resident Brandy Showah told CNN. 'This was a very great small town, and now it's gone.'

The Governor of  Mississippi, Tate Reeves, tweeted early Saturday: 'At least twenty three Mississippians were killed by last night's violent tornadoes.'

'We know that many more are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active. 

'The loss will be felt in these towns forever. Please pray for God's hand to be over all who lost family and friends'.

 Shattered residents were seen wandering through a wasteland of debris in Rolling Fork, as others picked through the rubble of their gutted homes hoping to save what valuables they had left