A major tornado outbreak is expected to develop in the central U.S. states, engulfing the are where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet the U.S. Storm Prediction Center said on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service is tracking two storms capable of producing tornadoes in western Missouri, including Kansas City.

The potential is increasing for a major tornado outbreak, the center said. Widespread wind damage and large hail are also a prominent concern through the evening hours.

A tornado watch was issued from Missouri to Indiana, including Indianapolis and St. Louis, according to the weather service.

The twister follows one that that just reeked havoc on the small town of Joplin Missouri, killing 117 people -- one of the deadliest on record.

More deaths have resulted from outbreaks of multiple tornadoes.

On April 27, a pack of twisters roared across six Southern states, killing 314 people, more than two-thirds of them in Alabama.

Speaking from London, President Barack Obama said he would travel to Missouri on Sunday to meet with people whose lives have been turned upside down by the twister.

The American people are by your side, Obama said. We're going to stay there until every home is repaired, until every neighborhood is rebuilt, until every business is back on its feet.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties until 10 p.m.

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