Violent storms ripping through the southeastern states have killed at least nine people, news sources report.

"In Arkansas, the death toll increased to seven today after Little Rock police spokesman Terry Hastings said a mother and her 8-year-old son were killed overnight when a tree fell on their home," ABC News reports.

Tornadoes in Oklahoma and Arkansas have uprooted trees and destroyed a school. Lardelah Anderson, a 64-year-old in Colt, Arkansas, was killed when strong winds during a thunderstorm flipped her double-wide trailer onto its roof.

Parts of North Texas have also seen signs of the storm system, although not as severely.

"Strong thunderstorms with hail the size of golf balls have pelted parts of North Texas and interrupted power," the AP reports.

The storms are headed for the Carolinas next.