At least three people were killed when a powerful storm hit the US, weather officials said.

In total, the US National Weather Service has reported 24 tornadoes in a storm system that affected the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee on Wednesday, media reported.

In Ottawa, a town with around 19,000 inhabitants and located 115 miles southwest of Chicago, a falling tree killed a 76-year-old man, according to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

At least 14 people were also hospitalised in Ottawa with different degrees of injuries.

About 350 km south of Ottawa, in Crossville, Illinois, another tornado caused damage to a home where a 71-year-old man was killed and his wife was injured.  

The third fatality was found in Missouri, where another powerful tornado swept through Perry County, south of the capital St. Louis, and destroyed between eight and 10 homes in Perryville.

In addition to the casualties, the tornadoes left chaos and destruction in places such as Naplate, near Ottawa.

The storm system is now moving towards the east coast of the US, causing alerts from Mississippi to Delaware, and could possibly reach New York City, the officials added.