By Richard Thompson

At least four people have been killed after dozens of tornadoes swept across the southern US, causing extensive property damage and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.

On Saturday and Sunday, nearly 40 tornadoes were reported in Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and Arkansas.

Two of the deaths took place in Mississippi, with one more each in Texas and North Carolina.

About 80 people are killed each year by tornadoes in the US, according to National Weather Service (NWS) statistics.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said one of the two deaths in the state had taken place in Adams County - about 92 miles (148km) west of the city of Jackson.

The second death took place in Lowndes County on the state's border with Alabama. At least ten people were injured across the state.

As of 10:30 local time on Monday (15:30 GMT), nearly 32,000 people were still without power in Mississippi, down from about 100,000 after the storms struck over the weekend, according to website PowerOutage.us.

In Texas, a tornado watch on 28 December received a rare "particularly dangerous situation" designation from the Storm Prediction Center - a rare occurrence which takes place for only approximately 7% of tornadoes each year.

While there is no official criteria for issuing similar warnings, they are usually given when forecasters believe that multiple "strong" or "violent" tornadoes are imminent in a given area.

A 48-year-old woman was killed in Texas' Brazoria County, near the state's Gulf Coast, according to the local sheriff's office. Four people also received non-critical injuries.

In Texas' Montgomery County, north of Houston, approximately 300 buildings were damaged - including 30 completely destroyed - after tornadoes with winds of up to 145mph (233 km/h) swept through the area.

The fourth death took place in North Carolina, where the state's highway patrol said a 70-year-old man identified as Matthew Ronald Teeple was killed after being struck by a falling tree while driving.

According to NWS statistics, approximately 800 tornadoes are reported across the US in an average year, resulting in 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries.

This year, however, the US recorded 1,762 tornadoes between January and November - the most since 2011.

By April Lanux

Former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral will take place on 9 January at the Washington National Cathedral, part of a national day of mourning for the longest-lived US president.

Walter Mondale, who served as Carter's vice-president, had intended to give the eulogy for his former boss, but he died in 2021. Mondale's son plans to read the eulogy at the funeral, according to the New York Times.

Other details are emerging on how the country will pay tribute to the world-renowned humanitarian, who died on Sunday, aged 100, at his home in Plains, Georgia.

There will also be public ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia, before Carter is buried in Plains, according to the Carter Center.

Following the US custom marking the death of important figures and leaders, President Joe Biden has ordered US flags on federal properties to be flown at half-staff for 30 days. The timespan will include the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The Carter family said it had "respectfully and gratefully" accepted an invitation from the US Congress for Carter to lie in state in the rotunda of the US Capitol building. By tradition, this is a public viewing where people will file through to pay respects, including lawmakers and high-profile individuals as well as everyday Americans.

Carter will then be buried on his family's property, next to his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023.

Biden has asked that 9 January be used to pay homage to America's 39th president, James Earl Carter Jr.

"He embodied the very best of America: A humble servant of God and the people," he said in a statement.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that though he and Carter disagreed philosophically, Carter was "a truly good man" and had his "highest respect".

Other US leaders have also put out statements praising Carter's life and work, including former presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

Former President Barack Obama said Carter "taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service".

Carter, the former Georgia peanut farmer turned naval officer turned US president, held office from 1977-1981.

During his time in the White House, he championed causes for global peace, the environment and human rights, and later earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

One of his most notable achievements in office was brokering a peace deal in the Middle East between Egypt and Israel.

However, Carter's accomplishments as president were eclipsed by a crumbling US economy and what he called "a crisis of confidence".

He served only one term in the White House and lost in a sweeping defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Much of Carter's legacy was built from his post-presidential life.

He continued to work towards global peace and met with international leaders; he established the Carter Center, a non-profit launched to help eradicate disease; and, well into his 90s, he worked with Habitat for Humanity to help build and repair homes.

"We are deeply saddened by President Carter's passing, and our prayers are with the Carter family," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.