A half-mile wide twister touched down near Oklahoma City as a vicious storm system moved through five states Sunday. The storms continue to pummel the Midwest this morning.

Hail as large as baseballs were reported from Georgia to Minnesota, as the powerful storm produced as many as two-dozen tornadoes. One person has been reported dead as a result of the storms, a man in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma, the hardest-hit state, reported sixteen counties as disaster areas.

Meteorologists had forecast the severe weather for days, as the weather system stretched from Texas to Minnesota.

The central region of the National Weather Service sent out blunt advisories in the hours preceding the storms: "You could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter," the advisory said. "Complete destruction of neighborhoods, businesses and vehicles will occur. Flying debris will be deadly to people and animals."

These kind of warnings have been common since the May 2011 tornadoes that struck Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people.

[AP]