A DANGEROUS tornado has left dozens of injured people trapped in buildings in Ohio overnight.
Locals reported 1.5mile wide debris balls were wreaking havoc in the US city of Trotwood, just outside of Dayton.
At least 12 people have been injured in the storm, with a number said to be trapped in buildings.
Up to 25 people, including children, are also said to be hiding in a local church as the extreme weather battered its way through Dayton.
The church's steeple reportedly snapped off and landed in the car park due to the strong winds.
Powerlines and trees are also said to be down in the chaos.
The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado was a "life-threatening situation".
One tweet warned: "Debris being lifted into the air by a tornado south of Circleville, Ohio".
The service tweeted that the situation was extremely dangerous and for residents in northern Montgomery County to take cover.
Locals have been warned there were new tornado threats for the extreme northern part of the county and southern Miami County with another possible threat near the county line.
On its Twitter account the Ohio Department of Transportation tweeted photos of crews using snow plows to clean up debris on I-75 north of downtown Dayton.
Transportation spokesman Matt Bruning said: "We'll do a more thorough cleaning after we get lanes opened."
Another suspected tornado near Vandalia, Ohio, was crossing the path of the first tornado, lifting debris in the air, the service said.
The service issued several tornado warnings for cities including Cedarville, Wilberforce and Jamestown until 12.45 a.m. EDT.
Trotwood is about eight miles (12 kilometres) northwest of Dayton.
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