Tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area have caused substantial damage, leaving at least 11 people dead and dozens of people injured.

It is the latest in a succession of freakish winter-weather events across the US that could include heavy snow and massive flooding from north Texas through eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, western Arkansas and parts of Missouri.

Days of tumultuous weather have led to 29 deaths overall - those in Texas plus a total of 18 in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas.

The full extent of damage in Texas is not yet known along a 40-mile stretch from the south of Dallas to the north-east of the city, although there were reports of strong winds blowing the roofs off homes, mangling vehicles, damaging churches, downing power lines and toppling trees.

National Weather Service survey teams headed out on Sunday to determine the number and strength of the tornadoes.

Meteorologist Matt Bishop said the tornado outbreak at this time of the year for north Texas occurs "from time to time... but it's certainly not something that happens regularly".

Garland Police's Pedro Barineau said that eight people have died and 15 were injured in Garland, which is about 20 miles north-east of Dallas.

"This is a huge impact on our community and we're all suffering," he said.

Mr Barineau said the damage stretches across an area of two square miles. At least three people who died were found in vehicles, he said.

About 600 structures were damaged, the majority of which were single-family homes. "Driving around the area, you can see that it's total devastation," Mr Barineau said.

Three more people died in Collin County, about 45 miles north-east of Dallas, according to sheriff's deputy Chris Havey, although the circumstances were not immediately clear.

In the town of Rowlett near Garland, city manager Brian Funderburk said on Sunday morning that 23 people were injured, although the extent of their injuries were not known, but that there were no deaths.

In some instances, it looked like homes had been picked up and set back down in a big pile. On one side of a street, windows were blown out, on the other side of the street, the homes were destroyed.

On the other side of Texas, a snow storm accompanied by plunging temperatures was expected to leave up to 16 inches of snow in west Texas and much of New Mexico through Sunday evening, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brendon Rubin-Oster in College Park, Maryland.

Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the snow caused 178 weather-related accidents by Saturday night, with about 58 involving people with injuries.

The National Weather Service said snow drifts more than 7ft high have been reported.

Two more deaths linked to weather were reported on Saturday in Mississippi, bringing that state's death toll from severe weather over Christmas to 10. Late on Saturday, one death was reported in Alabama.

Flash flooding closed roads across Alabama and trapped motorists in rapidly rising waters.

The flooding is the result of heavy downpours that have thrashed the south-eastern US since Wednesday, bringing record rainfalls in some areas.