In pics: Flood, snowstorm and tornado, US in grip of extreme weather events

Two tornadoes struck southwest Florida on Sunday morning, destroying at least 28 homes and damaging others in Lee County, while leaving about 7,000 houses there without power, officials said.

The tornadoes were generated by the same storm system that brought freezing rain and snow to other parts of the East Coast.

In Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers, an EF1 tornado with winds of 110 mph left behind a path of destruction, according to the weather service. One of these tornadoes, an EF2, destroyed 28 homes and damaged 62 so severely that they were unlivable, the Lee County government said in a press conference.

Up to 200 people were forced out of their homes due to the damage, according to news reports.

January tornadoes in Florida are uncommon. The state has only averaged two tornadoes in January over the last 20 years. There were two EF1 tornadoes in Leon County last January.

An aerial picture taken on January 3, 2022, shows a vehicle drives along a road flooded with ocean water during the "King Tide" in Mill Valley, California. "King Tides" occur when the Earth, moon, and sun align in orbit to produce unusually high water levels and can cause local tidal flooding. Over time, sea level rise is raising the height of tidal systems.

An aerial picture taken on Jan. 3, 2022, shows a man riding his bike along a flooded Sausalito-Mill Valley bike path during the king tide in California. While the king tides occur naturally and are predictable each winter, for scientists and researchers they are a glimpse into what the coast could look like when predicted sea level rise happens in the years to come, potentially causing damage to infrastructure and coastal properties.

Vehicles are seen on an icy stretch of Interstate 95 closed as a storm blankets the southeastern US region in snow, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, on January 3, 2022.  A huge winter storm has brought snow and ice across the US, triggering weather warnings in states stretching from Mississippi to Maine, snarling travel and leaving at least 130,000 people without power as it moved north.

People using cross country skis while passing East Capitol Street, amid a snow storm on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 3, 2022. 

More than 145,000 people are without power in some south-eastern states, and thousands of flights are cancelled. Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

A visitor crosses Independence Avenue behind a fallen tree, amid a snow storm, outside the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 3, 2022. 

The US National Weather Service (NWS) says more than 1ft (30cm) of snow is expected in some areas. It warned that snow and ice could result in "dangerous travel, power outages, and tree damage".