Powerful storm kills 45 from Oklahoma to Virginia

One of the largest convulsions of tornado activity in U.S. history left a swath of death and debris from Oklahoma to North Carolina and Virginia, killing at least 45 people, disrupting electric service for thousands and leaving many others injured or huddled in shelters.

The three-day outbreak included 241 tornadoes reported over 14 states, according to AccuWeather.com, which noted that the spate of twisters is likely to rank among the most active ever recorded, according to Kansas City Star.

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) began touring storm-ravaged parts of the state Sunday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in North Carolina who's been through this horrible day," she said after declaring a state of emergency.

Meteorologists said it appeared to be the deadliest U.S. storm since February 2008, when 57 people died in tornadoes in southern states and the Ohio Valley, Washington Post reports.