(NECN/CNN) - More than 40 people have been killed over the past three days after deadly storms ripped through the Southeast. At least 11 deaths in one North Carolina county bring the state's death toll to at least 20 -- and the reports could rise.
The cleanup has begun in North Carolina after epic storms tore through the region Saturday, and some residents, including Governor Bev Perdue, had never seen a forceful system as powerful as this one.
"We're beginning to recover from what we believe is the most widespread tornadoes we've seen since the mid-80s," she said. "We believe that there are perhaps as many as 62 tornadoes that have touched down across the state."
The storms, which originated in Arkansas and Oklahoma on Thursday, ripped through the southeast, killing more than 40 in the last three days. The death toll spans across six states.
North Carolina was especially hit hard, particularly in Bertie County, where more than 10 people were killed. Emergency crews are assessing the damage, and residents are talking about the moment of impact.
