Three people have been killed after a fierce storm system unleashed suspected tornadoes in a number of US states.

Homes and businesses were damaged in parts of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky on Thursday.

The fatalities in Ohio were confirmed by chief deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department in Bellefontaine, who warned more fatalities would probably be discovered.

Meanwhile, Indiana State Police said there were “many significant injuries” after a tornado tore through the community of Winchester.

“I’m shaken, it’s overwhelming,” said Winchester mayor Bob McCoy. “I heard what sounded like a train and then I started hearing sirens. I’ve never heard that sound before, I don’t want to hear it again.”

The suspected tornado damaged a Walmart store and a Taco Bell in Winchester, Randolph County sheriff Art Moystner said.

Around the same time as the tornado hit Winchester, another suspected twister touched down around 85 miles east in Ohio, hitting the southern end of Indian Lake.

“As far as we know, we have lots of injuries. We don’t know the extent of the injuries,” said Sheri Timmers, a spokesperson for Logan County.

Several buildings in the Indian Lake area were damaged, Ms Timmers said, adding the full extent of the destruction was still being assessed.

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Damage from the severe weather system in Lakeview, Ohio. Pic: WSYX/AP
Image:
Damaged houses in Lakeview, Ohio. Pic: WSYX/AP

Village ‘completely demolished’

The village of Lakeview was “completely demolished,” said Amber Fagan, president and chief executive of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, who added that homes and campgrounds were hit hard by the tornado.

“There’s places burning,” she said. “There’s power lines through people’s windows.”

Damage from the severe weather system near Indian Lake in Ohio. Pic: WSYX/AP
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The aftermath of the severe weather system seen near Indian Lake in Ohio. Pic: WSYX/AP

‘Large and extremely dangerous tornado’ warning

In Ohio’s Huron County, emergency management officials posted on Facebook to say there was a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near Plymouth – some 75 miles northeast of Indian Lake.

To the west of Winchester in Delaware County, emergency management officials said initial assessments suggested up to half of the structures in the small town of Selma had been damaged by a possible tornado and minor injuries had been reported.

‘A whole bunch of damage’

In Kentucky, Trimble County Emergency Management director Andrew Stark said the storms had damaged at least 50 structures, including homes, leaving “a whole bunch of damage,” he told the Courier Journal of Louisville.

Large pieces of hail were also reported in parts of the St Louis area on Thursday afternoon and there were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Jefferson County, Missouri, and Monroe County, Illinois, but no immediate reports of damage.