Almost all those reported missing after a tornado ripped into the outskirts of Oklahoma City are accounted for and the total death toll is expected to be around 24, police said Tuesday.

A two-mile-wide twister tore through the Oklahoma suburb of Moore on Monday, demolishing homes and schools and spreading terror and chaos.

"I think overall, the medical examiner has actually confirmed 24 deaths. But four of those are in Oklahoma City, the remainder would be in Moore," Oklahoma City police chief Bill Citty told a news conference.

"There could be obviously others in the coming days. The search is still going on, heavily in Moore because they have such a large area to cover," he said, adding: "So we have a 24 right now. There could be more.

"All of the people that have been reported missing -- initially last night, about 48 -- all of those have been actually found except for I think a few left in Moore that they are working on to try to locate that have not."

State, local and federal rescue and recovery teams have been dispatched to the area following what President Barack Obama described as one of the most devastating tornadoes in US history.

The tornado passed on and dissipated, but the area is still being lashed by storms and hailstones, disrupting emergency work.