"The scale of devastation across our state is staggering," Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said. "While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action."

Nine of the 12 fatalities reported during last week's severe weather outbreak occurred in Wayne and Ozark counties.

At least 41 people are dead after a weekend of dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires — leaving behind uprooted trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across seven states in the U.S. South and Midwest.