The death toll from three days of severe weather across several southern US states has risen to at least 43.

The latest state to be hit was North Carolina, where 62 tornadoes left a trail of destruction in the worst storm to hit the state in two decades.

The governor declared a state of emergency after deaths were reported in four counties.

Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Virginia have also been hit.

Officials say the number of victims will increase further as rescue teams search damaged areas.

Hailstones the size of grapefruit were reported as the storms swept through the region, creating flash floods as well as tornadoes.

The storms first struck Oklahoma on Thursday before sweeping eastward through other states.

Roofs ripped off

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue said the number of tornadoes was the highest since 1984.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody in North Carolina who has been through this horrible day," Gov Perdue said.

She did not confirm the number of people killed, but an official in Bertie County said 11 people had died in that county alone, bringing deaths so far in the state to 21, according to AP news agency.

County manager Zee Lamb told the news agency the tornado had moved through Bertie County about 1900 local time (2300 GMT) on Saturday, causing extensive damage.

About 21,000 people live in the county, which is located about 130 miles east of the city of Raleigh.

Austin Moss, a delivery driver for a major pizza chain in Raleigh, told the BBC he had heard first-hand accounts of the damage where one of the tornadoes touched down.

"Most hotels had no vacancy as they were filled with victims of the storm, and one family had been completely dislodged from their home, which no longer existed," he said.

But, he added, "while the damage is extensive, the general attitude seems optimistic in the face of widespread adversity".

An estimated 200,000 homes in North Carolina were without power on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Fatalities have also been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

Trees and power lines have been felled by the storms, which have torn roofs off houses and overturned cars.

A mother and her two children were among those who died in Alabama, officials said.

The trio had been sheltering inside their their double-wide trailer when it was thrown about 500 ft by the winds, landing on its roof.

The governor of Alabama visited several of the devastated areas on Saturday, and declared the entire state a disaster area.

The storms have now moved out over the Atlantic.

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