By Rich McKay and Tatiana Bautzer (Reuters) -Portions of Pennsylvania, New York and Mid-Atlantic and Southeast states were still under a National Weather Service watch for damaging wind and tornadoes,

The death toll from tornadoes and violent storms that ravaged the central and southern United States over the weekend has risen to at least 40 people, with dozens more injured, local authorities said.

The weakening but still volatile weather system was moving Monday into the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds and the potential for more tornadoes.

Violent tornadoes and high winds decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.

A powerful storm system that tore across the United States in recent days is winding down Monday, but in its wake are devastated communities across states hit with violent tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms spun off by the massive system.

At least seven tornadoes hit Alabama on Saturday, and that number will likely climb even higher later today. The National Weather Service plans to continue looking at storm damage and has several areas that will be visited by storm survey teams today (Monday).

A destructive wave of storms swept into Alabama on Saturday, bringing with them a rarely-seen threat level for possible long-track tornadoes, winds of up to 70 m.p.h., golf ball-sized hail and torrential rain.

Tornadoes in the South and Midwest overnight and early Saturday left 11 dead in Missouri. More tornadoes are forecast Saturday and Sunday.

Abe Cook, the director of an emergency management agency in Franklin County, Missouri, discusses the widespread damage from severe weather and tornadoes across the state.

Six fatalities were reported after severe storms moved through Mississippi on Saturday. Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) said he signed a State of Emergency on Saturday in order to mobilize state assets and better support response and recovery efforts.