The death toll from the
tornadoes that ravaged five southern states rose to 56 after another death was reported in Tennessee.
The death toll in Tennessee's Macon County now stands at 14, Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville told CNN.
Of the 56 people killed, 32 of those were in Tennessee. The deaths also include 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky and four in Alabama, emergency officials said.
Tornadoes pulled houses from foundations, pummeled mobile homes and collapsed warehouses.
Residents are preparing to tackle cleanup in the five states ravaged by the nation's deadliest set of twisters in more than two decades.
Emergency teams, utility workers and insurance representatives streamed into five southern states hard-hit by tornadoes earlier in the week.
Officials were only beginning to tally how much the tornadoes would cost.
President George W. Bush will travel to Tennessee Friday to assess damage and try to comfort residents.
Offering federal support, he said, "Prayers can help and so can the government."
"Our administration is reaching out to state officials," Bush said Wednesday, adding that he spoke with the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. "I wanted them to know that this government will help them; but more importantly, I wanted them to be able to tell the people in their states that the American people hold them up and -- hold those who suffer up in prayer. This was a bad storm that affected a lot of people in a variety of states."
Rescue crews have moved door to door to find victims of Tuesday night's twisters. They were unleashed by a storm that swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Teams from Federal Emergency Management Agency have been sent to the region and activated an emergency center in Georgia.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen surveyed the damage from a helicopter and said, "It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground."
A company spokesman said no one was killed in a huge explosion at a natural gas pumping plant in Tennessee.
The Nisource Gas Transmission spokesman said no one was working at the plant Tuesday night when it erupted in flames. He said a tornado likely hit the plant, causing the fire.
About 200 yards from the edge of the gas plant, Bonnie and Frank Brawner picked through the rubble of their home for photographs and other personal items. The storm sheared off the second story of the home and the remaining ceiling over the first floor was partially caved in.
"We had a beautiful neighborhood, now it's hell," said Bonnie Brawner, 80.
The nearby Castilian Springs, Tenn., post office was destroyed, and there was one confirmed death, WSMV-TV in Nashville reported.
Also in Castilian Springs, a baby was found unscathed in a field across from a demolished post office. Emergency officials say the baby was covered in debris but was otherwise unharmed.
An emergency official said the baby showed no obvious sign of trauma. There is no word on what happened to the parents.
Tennessee Hit Hard
Among the dead in Tennessee was a 70-year-old man whose mobile home was leveled in Macon County.
Tennessee officials said the storms injured as many as 75 people, demolished buildings, flipped vehicles and brought down a large wall at a shopping mall.
Macon County emergency director Keith Scruggs confirmed at least eight deaths from storm damage alone, WSMV reported.
"It's cut Macon County in two," Scruggs said of what is believed to be a tornado. "I've been working 34 years and I've never seen anything like this.
"Roads are blocked. It's massive. We can't tell the extent of the damage yet. They have search teams going out now to check subdivision developments, housing and more rural areas."
Severe storms damaged buildings at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday night, injuring 16 people, reported WSMV.
A spokesman for Union University in Jackson, Tenn., said eight students were reported trapped in a damaged dormitory at the university but weren't seriously injured, reported WSMV-TV in Nashville.
Union University President David Dockery said one-third of the campus was either damaged or destroyed. Dockery said the school would be closed until Feb. 13.
Bad Weather Nationwide
Bad weather was sweeping across the country Thursday.
People in the Midwest woke up Thursday to as much as 20 inches of snow.
In the Great Lakes region, homes and businesses were being threatened by flooding and rising rivers from days of heavy rain and melting snow.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Video: 
No comments:
Post a Comment