WASHINGTON (AFP) - A powerful storm system churning through the US Mid-west spawned tornadoes on Sunday in the states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa, destroying homes and killing at least one person, US media reported.

Funnel clouds were reported in and near towns including Edmond and Shawnee, Oklahoma.

In Shawnee, a twister smashed through a group of mobile homes, reported CBS television. Shawnee is where at least one person has been reported killed, Fox television said.

Authorities had put counties in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri under tornado watches and warnings throughout the day.

In Kansas, a tornado was spotted near Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport, and in Iowa, a tornado touched down west of Des Moines, according to the National Weather Service.

Last Thursday, 10 tornadoes tore through Texas, killing at least six people and injuring dozens as they leveled homes and downed power lines.