More than 230 people have been killed by hundreds of tornadoes raging across the south of the United States, in the region's most devastating storm outbreak for almost 40 years.
The Telegraph UK. 28 April 2011
Entire US towns were destroyed, as six states were struck by huge twisters. One that was captured on extraordinary video footage measured a mile wide – 20 times larger than the typical tornado.
States of emergency were declared by the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and the death toll was expected to rise.
Alabama, one of America's poorest states, was worst hit. More than 131 people there died, 36 in the city of Tuscaloosa alone. Walter Maddox, its mayor, said the city had been "obliterated".
"I don't know how anyone survived," said Mr Maddox. "It's an amazing scene.
There are parts of the city I don't recognise and I've lived here my entire life."
James Sykes, a survivor, described watching a "silent monster" suck up the city's streets. "It was full of lightning, devastating everything," Mr Sykes said. Dozens of businesses and emergency service buildings across the city were wiped out.
"We had a major catastrophic event here in Alabama," said Robert Bentley, the state's governor. "We have major destruction in the state." A million people were left without power.
Storms caused the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Huntsville, Alabama, to lose power. Officials described the incident as a low-level emergency and said it was under control.
The National Weather Service said it had received 137 tornado reports on Wednesday, bringing to 300 the total number counted in the region since Friday.
In Mississippi, at least 32 people were killed. Another 30 were reported dead in Tennessee, 11 in Arkansas, 13 in Georgia, seven in Virginia, and three in Missouri.
President Barack Obama, who promised swift assistance from the National Guard, said: "Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation".
Mr Obama also paid tribute to the "heroic efforts" of those who were responding to the disaster by clearing up disaster-struck areas and searching for victims.
People throughout the south were left trapped in their homes, colleges and vehicles after fallen trees and flooding left large areas impossible to pass.
Tim Holt, a hotel worker in Ringgold, the hardest hit town in Georgia, said: "Our town is in pieces", adding: "It's an 80 per cent loss." Birmingham, Alabama's largest city, was also struck. Samantha Nail, a resident of one of its suburbs, described watching nearby brick houses being swept away.
"We were in the bathroom holding on to each other and holding on to dear life," she said. "If it wasn't for our concrete walls, our home would be gone like the rest of them." The storms appeared to have been the deadliest natural disaster in the US since Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people in Louisiana in 2005.
It was also the deadliest tornado system since the "super outbreak" of April 1974, when 310 people were killed in 148 twisters across 13 states.
Further heavy rain and high winds are expected on Saturday, with 21 states throughout the country warned that they could face severe weather.
Deadly tornado causes massive destruction in Alabama and southern US states
Fierce storms have obliterated large areas of land from Mississippi to Georgia in the US, wiping out homes and businesses. The US National Weather Service reported more than 130 tornadoes on Wednesday 27 April.
Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama declared a state of emergency after 25 were killed by storms on Wednesday alone. That was before the tornado hit Tuscaloosa, where 100 were said to have been injured. Another 11 people were killed in Mississippi, two in Georgia and one in Tennessee.
President Barack Obama later announced a state of emergency in Alabama, freeing up federal agencies to lend assistance.
The Tuscaloosa tornado was one of several that hit Alabama. It tore through the city after 5pm, sweeping past a major medical centre, the University of Alabama campus and a high school.
Many parts of the state had been on a tornado watch throughout the day, prompting schools, government offices and businesses to close early or shut down. One of the Mississippi dead was a father trying to shelter his daughter at a campsite when he was killed.
Rescue workers tend to an injured person in Concord, Ala.
Deadly tornado causes massive destruction in Alabama and Southern US states
Pictures: AP
The tornadoes included what may be the most violent twister ever to hit Alabama. It slammed into the college town of Tuscaloosa, killing 15 people, crushing houses, picking up cars and uprooting trees by the hundred.
US President Barack Obama said in a statement: "Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation, and we commend the heroic efforts of those who have been working tirelessly to respond to this disaster."
The death toll from storms and tornadoes in Alabama has risen to 128 people. The storms were part of a series that have killed at least 155 people in half a dozen southern states over the last few days.
Storm victims across the region were trapped in homes, trailers and cars by falling trees. Hail the size of golf balls cracked windows.
Roads were washed out or rendered impassable by fallen trees and power lines across the region. Homes, schools and businesses were flattened, flooded and set on fire by lightning.
Rescue workers search a hillside after a tornado ripped through parts of Concord, Alabama. About 1,400 National Guard soldiers are being deployed around the state.
First responders carry an elderly woman away after they rescued her from the rubble of her home
Faye Hyde sits on a mattress in what was her garden as she comforts her granddaughter Sierra Goldsmith, 2, in Concord, Alabama.
Deputy Johnny Morell and Kirk Bowley escort John Wessinger from the remains of his home in the McCulley Mill Road area near Athens, Alabama. Wessinger suffered an arm injury as well as cuts and scrapes.
A displaced family is assisted by emergency responders near Tuscaloosa.
Michael Dunn is hugged by his mother Patricia Dunn as they stand in the road that led to his house which was completely destroyed, in Concord, Alabama.
A woman sifts through the destruction of a former T-Mobile office.
Bystanders look on at storm damage
Residents take stock of the damage.
Cars are flipped and buildings are destroyed
Residents survey the destruction.
People stand outside the Saint Mary Primitive Baptist Church that was destroyed when a tornado hit Pratt City just north of downtown Birmingham.
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