US: Storms rip across the South, killing over 350

[Ronan Kelly]

Storms rip across the South, killing at least 159
By the CNN Wire StaffApril 28, 2011 6:09 a.m. EDT


(CNN) -- The death toll from a series of violent storms that swept across the South jumped to 159 after a statewide review by Alabama emergency management officials Thursday turned up 128 fatalities across the state, according to a governor's spokeswoman.

President Barack Obama announced late Wednesday he had approved Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue support.

"While we may not know the extent of the damage for days, we will continue to monitor these severe storms across the country and stand ready to continue to help the people of Alabama and all citizens affected by these storms," Obama said in a statement.

...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/28/severe.weather/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 194

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 194

Tuscaloosa tornado caught on tape wreaking havoc - CBS 42 Birmingham, AL News We (04/27/2011)
<IFRAME height=349 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W3GabHPc_eE" frameBorder=0 width=425 allowfullscreen></IFRAME>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3GabHPc_eE


-----------------------------------------------

Violent storms smack South, death toll rises to 194

8:08 AM, Apr. 28, 2011

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The death toll from severe storms that punished five Southern U.S. states jumped to a staggering 194 today after Alabama canvassed its hard-hit counties for a new tally of lives lost.

Alabama's state emergency management agency said it had confirmed 128 deaths, up from at least 61 earlier.

"We expect that toll, unfortunately, to rise," Gov. Robert Bentley told ABC's "Good Morning America."

Mississippi officials reported 32 dead in that state and Tennessee raised its report to 15. Another 11 have been killed in Georgia and eight in Virginia.

More...
http://www.freep.com/article/20110428/NEWS07/304280001/Storms-ravage-South-death-toll-rises-194?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 194

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 194

Alabama nuclear power plant offline after storm
(AFP) ? 36 minutes ago

WASHINGTON ? US officials were Thursday monitoring a nuclear plant in the southern state of Alabama that lost power amid severe storms that swept through the region.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens, Alabama "lost offsite power early Wednesday evening due to severe storms that damaged power lines in the area."

More...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...ocId=CNG.d806349a66bfd25874476d788c78659e.121

---------------------------------------------------

April 28, 2011

NRC MONITORS EVENTS AT BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AFTER LOSS OF OFFSITE POWER AND UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARATION

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2011/11-030.ii.pdf

http://www.nrc.gov/

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

Dozens of tornadoes kill 209 in 6 Southern states
(AP) ? 16 minutes ago

PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. (AP) ? Dozens of tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system wiped out neighborhoods across a wide swath of the South, killing at least 209 people in the deadliest outbreak in nearly 40 years, and officials said Thursday they expected the death toll to rise.

Alabama's state emergency management agency said it had confirmed 131 deaths, while there were 32 in Mississippi, 24 in Tennessee, 13 in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Kentucky.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said it received 137 tornado reports around the region into Wednesday night.

More...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...wHKM0Q?docId=a8332b975c0d48308ac65f76d8e3287f

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

2 / 18

PHOTOGRAPH BY: MARVIN GENTRY / Reuters

Storms and tornado destroy Alabama neighborhoods

• Posted By: Times Editors
• Posted On: 9:13 p.m. | April 27, 2011

...The tornado cut a path of devastation through the city of Tuscaloosa, the home of the University of Alabama. President Obama declared an emergency in the state.

More photos here:
http://framework.latimes.com/2011/04/27/storms-and-tornado-destroy-alabama-neighborhoods/#/1

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 209

Tornadoes and storms rip through South, more than 220 dead

By Verna Gates
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:40am EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Reuters) - Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven southern states, killing more than 220 people as they flattened neighborhoods, flipped cars and toppled trees and power lines, officials said on Thursday.

In the deadliest series of tornadoes in nearly four decades in the United States, 131 people were killed in Alabama, the worst-hit state which suffered "massive destruction of property," Governor Robert Bentley said.

"We expect that number to rise," Bentley said in a conference call with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate.

In preliminary estimates, other state officials reported 32 killed in Mississippi, 30 in Tennessee, 11 in Arkansas, 10 in Georgia, eight in Virginia and two in Louisiana. The clusters of powerful tornadoes -- more than 100 in total -- combined with storms to cut a swathe of destruction heading from west to east over several days.

The Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama was expected to be shut for days, possibly weeks, as workers repaired damaged transmission lines.

Up to 1 million people in Alabama were left without power.

More...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/28/us-weather-idUSTRE73P2PK20110428

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

The University of Alabama

Current Conditions: Classes and Normal Operations Cancelled through Friday, April 29th


10:28 a.m., Thursday, April 28

The University of Alabama has cancelled classes and suspended normal operations through Friday, April 29th.

The Student Recreation Center is available to students whose off-campus residences are damaged. Housing & Residential Life will be available at the Recreation Center to assist students with temporary housing needs. Counseling services will also be available.

Because of the power outages, Lakeside Dining is the only dining facility that will be open on campus today, starting at 10:30 a.m. Lines will be long, so please be patient.

Essential personnel should report to work as directed by their supervisors. Any UA employee who has experienced personal hardships as a result of the tornado should notify their supervisors.

Please stay away from community areas that have experienced damage. If you must travel in Tuscaloosa, please be extremely careful. Obey all commands of law enforcement.

Members of the UA community who would like to offer assistance to the community may sign up to volunteer at St. Matthias Church starting at noon today. St. Matthias Church is located at 2310 Skyland Blvd. The recommended route to reach the church is I-359.

Students and parents who have questions may call UA's emergency call center at 348-1001 or 877-408-1001. Continue to monitor this website for the latest information.

More...
http://www.ua.edu/weather/

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

FEMA

April 28, 2011

Administrator Fugate Travels to Alabama

Posted by: Public Affairs

At the request of President Obama, Administrator Fugate is travelling to Alabama today to meet with Gov. Robert Bentley, and other state and local officials, to assess damage and ensure the state is receiving all support needed for response and recovery operations. Details regarding Administrator Fugate?s visit to Alabama will be posted on the blog later today.

Since the tornadoes struck, through our regional office in Atlanta, Ga., we have been in constant contact with the governor?s office and state emergency management officials, and have deployed staff to Alabama?s emergency operations center to help with coordination needs.

And in case you missed it last night, President Obama signed an emergency declaration for Alabama, providing federal support to state and local response efforts.

For the latest information about FEMA?s response, see the Severe Storms / Tornadoes category on the blog.

More...
http://blog.fema.gov/search/label/Severe Storms / Tornadoes

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 220

Twister debris searched for victims; death toll rises to 280
'Neighborhoods ... basically removed from the map,' Tuscaloosa mayor says


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? Survivors and rescuers combed through destroyed towns and neighborhoods on Thursday, looking for belongings and victims after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South overnight. The death toll continued to climb in Alabama, and at least 280 people in six states perished in the deadliest outbreak in nearly 40 years.

.People in hard-hit Alabama surveyed flattened, debris-strewn neighborhoods and told of pulling bodies from rubble after the storms passed.

"We have neighborhoods that have been basically removed from the map," Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox said after surveying his city

...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42794539/ns/weather/

 

[Emily]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-28/storms-kill-178-in-five-southern-u-s-states-as-tornado-ravages-tuscaloosa.html

Tornadoes Ravage South, Killing Hundreds in Six States
By Brian K. Sullivan - Apr 28, 2011 2:04 PM PT

In the Pratt City neighborhood about five miles northwest of downtown Birmingham, stretches of streets looked like refugee thoroughfares as people carried belongings from wrecked homes past piles of rubble, roofless buildings and fallen trees.

....

Reactors Shut

The Tennessee Valley Authority shut all three reactors at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant in Alabama yesterday after the storms caused a brief power outage, Barbara Martocci, a company spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. With other reactors offline for seasonal maintenance, U.S. nuclear output fell to the lowest level in more than 10 years.

<script src="http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?embedCode=1iaTVmMjoC-gBUrXDdoo5ScF79Q17Op7&width=640&height=360&deepLinkEmbedCode=1iaTVmMjoC-gBUrXDdoo5ScF79Q17Op7&videoProviderCode=oza2w6q8gX9WSkRx13bskffWIuyf&autoplay=0"></script>

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>April 28, 2011 - NORTH ALABAMA AGRICULTURE SUFFERS SERIOUS TORNADO DAMAGE; AG INSPECTORS DEPLOYED TO ASSIST STATE EMA</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
MONTGOMERY ? Widespread damage and destruction has hit Alabama?s agriculture infrastructure with preliminary assessments indicating extensive damage to the state?s multi-billion-dollar poultry industry. ?We have deployed our field inspectors to the hard hit areas of North Alabama to assist state emergency management efforts,? said Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries.

North Alabama poultry producers and meat processors suffered significant damage, according to McMillan, adding that some 200 poultry houses were destroyed by yesterday?s tornados and another 180 damaged. A standard poultry house can hold an average of 20,000 chickens.

?Thousands of chickens have been lost in the tornados, and these numbers could grow as we continue to assess the damage,? McMillan said. ?Power outages and loss of drinking water could worsen an already critical situation for poultry producers and meat processors.?

A state veterinarian is investigating reports of injured livestock in Franklin County, the commissioner said. No other details are available.

The department will release an updated report later today.


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.agi.state.al.us/press_releases/2011apr28?pn=2

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Student From DFW Killed by Alabama Tornado

Thursday, Apr 28, 2011 | Updated 4:30 PM CDT

Dallas native and University of Alabama student Ashley Harrison was one of the more than 250 people killed Wednesday when a massive tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Harrison, a 2007 graduate of Ursuline Academy, was taking cover in a closet with friends as a massive tornado was bearing down on her apartment. After the storm passed, Harrison was gone. Initially reported as missing in the aftermath, her body was recovered hours after the storm passed more than 100 yards from where she sought refuge.

More...
http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Student-From-DFW-Killed-by-Alabama-Tornado-120896329.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

The University of Alabama

Excerpt:

1:00 p.m., Thursday, April 28

Normal operations are suspended as recovery efforts continue. The University will not conduct final exams next week as scheduled.

Students will have the option of accepting their existing grades as of April 27, 2011, or they can take a final exam at a later date. For those students who request to take a final exam, faculty will have the option of scheduling the final exam on site when normal operations resume or via distance education means.

This schedule change includes all enrolled students except those in the School of Law and School of Medicine. Their academic calendars vary and they should be in touch with their faculty for confirmation of their exam schedule.

Faculty should communicate with their students via e-learning or their normal means as facilities are restored. Students should know that not all faculty will have communication capabilities immediately.

Commencement exercises scheduled for May 7, 2011, have been rescheduled for Aug. 6, 2011, when May and August graduates will be recognized.

These steps are being taken to allow students impacted by the storms to return to their homes while recovery efforts continue in the Tuscaloosa area.

These changes are in keeping with academic guidelines that are part of the emergency operations and recovery plans for the campus.
...

4:45 p.m., Thursday, April 28

The University encourages all students who can safely return home to do so. If you are preparing to leave campus, please refer to the Alabama Department of Transportation's emergency road closures web site to plan the safest route to your destination: http://aldotgis.dot.state.al.us/RoadClosures/Default.aspx. Information about airport shuttles is available by calling 348-RIDE.

[...]
http://www.ua.edu/weather/

 

[Emily]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/04/alabama_tornadoes_death_toll_c.html

Alabama tornadoes: Death toll climbs to 195 as of 3:10 Thursday afternoon, EMA says
Published: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 5:42 PM Updated: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 5:49 PM
David White -- The Birmingham News By David White -- The Birmingham News
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The death toll in Alabama from Wednesday's storms reached 195 people as of 3:10 p.m. today, the state Emergency Management Agency reported.....

Tornado Aftermath in Dekalb County, Alabama: April 28, 2011 - 24 photos

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/04/talbothold.html
Alabama tornadoes: Epic scenes of disaster across state (photos, video)
Published: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 12:39 PM Updated: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 3:35 PM
By George Talbot Al.com

http://photos.al.com/alcom_photo_essay/2011/04/alabama_tornadoes_from_april_2.html#photo-9523499
Alabama tornadoes from April 27, 2011 create devastating scene across state
By al.com staff
| April 28, 2011 11:11 AM

Judy Cook who lost her Masters Drive home is conforted by Chase Spradlin. (Birmingham News Photo / Jeff Roberts

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 280

Obama to visit Alabama as South reels in tornado aftermath; 300 killedBy the CNN Wire StaffApril 29, 2011 4:24 a.m. EDT

...

Alabama suffered the greatest of loss of life with 213 fatalities in 19 counties.

Infrastructure losses are hurting recovery efforts, said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox. At least 38 people died in the city.

Maddox said at least one strong tornado swept through the city, leaving dozens of roads impassable and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.

"It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Maddox said.

...

 

[LaMenchos]

USA - Violent Series of Storms Devastate Southern States - At least 300 dead;

USA - Violent Series of Storms Devastate Southern States - At least 300 dead;

USA - Violent Series of Storms Devastate Southern States - At least 300 dead;

Searchers comb twister debris for victims; death toll nears 300
'Neighborhoods ... basically removed from the map,' Tuscaloosa mayor says

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42794539/ns/weather/


Tornadoes devastate South, killing at least 281
The death toll from Wednesday's storms seems out of a bygone era, before Doppler radar and pinpoint satellite forecasts were around to warn communities of severe weather. Residents were told the tornadoes were coming up to 24 minutes ahead of time, but they were just too wide, too powerful and too locked onto populated areas to avoid a horrifying body count.

<cite id="captionCite">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110428/ap_on_re_us/us_severe_weather


http://www.enterprisenews.com/topst...eath-count-across-the-South-likely-to-top-300

</cite>
Storm, hail, reported tornadoes pummel parts of South

A tornado struck an Air Force base, military officials said, and prompted the Arkansas governor to declare a state of emergency.

Storms in the lower Mississippi valley Tuesday night unleashed baseball-sized hail, high winds and twisters, including one that lifted a tractor-trailer, the National Weather Service said.
Meteorologists from Texas to Kentucky, a day after a similar round of storms, were flooded Tuesday evening with reports of severe storms or tornado touchdowns and resulting damage.
According to the agency's Storm Prediction Center, there were 29 tornado reports -- many in northeast Texas -- by late Tuesday, but the actual number had not been confirmed.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-26/...wns-tornado-reports-tornado-activity?_s=PM:US


<cite id="captionCite"></cite>Stats from Second-Deadliest Tornado Outbreak in US since 1950
Apr 29, 2011; 9:40 AM ET

These stats will continue to be updated as we learn more about Wednesday's devastating tornado outbreak.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/48974/stats-from-seconddeadliest-tor.asp

Violent Tornadoes Devastate the South; At Least 300 Dead
Apr 29, 2011; 7:20 AM ET

Large, powerful and long-tracking tornadoes ravaged the South on Wednesday, leaving many communities devastated and many lives lost. At least 300 people are dead after Wednesday's massive tornado outbreak, according to CNN. That number could continue to rise as crews comb through the wreckage.
Wednesday is the deadliest tornado day in the United States since April 3, 1974, when 308 people lost their lives. April 27, 2011 now ranks second in the nation's deadliest tornado days (since 1950), surpassing the April 11, 1965 outbreak that killed 260 people.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/48909/todays-tornado-onslaught-cente.asp

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 300

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 300

Tornadoes tear across South, killing over 306

By Verna Gates
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:01am EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Reuters) - Tornadoes and violent storms tore through seven Southern states, killing at least 306 people and causing billions of dollars of damage in one of the deadliest swarm of twisters in U.S. history.

President Barack Obama described the loss of life as "heartbreaking" and called the damage to homes and businesses "nothing short of catastrophic." He promised strong federal support for rebuilding and plans to view the damage on Friday.

Over several days this week, the powerful tornadoes -- more than 160 reported in total -- combined with storms to cut a swath of destruction heading west to east. It was the worst U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed up to 1,800 people.

More...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/29/us-weather-idUSTRE73P2PK20110429

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 300

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing at least 300

Obama visits Alabama as South reels in tornado aftermath
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) - President Barack Obama toured rubble-strewn Tuscaloosa, Arizona, neighborhoods on Friday, declaring the devastation brought by a series of powerful storms and tornadoes was beyond anything he had ever seen.

The storms killed at least 316 people in six Southern states and left entire neighborhoods in ruins. Obama promised expedited federal aid to states affected by the tornadoes.

"We're going to do everything we can to help these communities rebuild," he said.

...

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/...th-reels-in-tornado-aftermath/?iref=allsearch

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing 316

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing 316

Marion Co. storm deaths jump, Ala. total up to 248
by The Associated Press Anniston Star
Apr 30, 2011 | 590 views | 0 | 1 | |
CLANTON, Ala. ? State and local authorities say the number of storm fatalities in Marion County has jumped dramatically and increased Alabama's total deaths to at least 248.

Marion County is now reporting 35 fatalities. That's up from three reported Thursday.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Police Chief Steven Anderson said Friday night that the death toll for the city and its police jurisdiction had been reduced from 45 to 39. They attributed the revised toll to the availability of new information about the deceased.

...


Read more: Anniston Star - Marion Co storm deaths jump Ala total up to 248

Officials still counting deaths on 3rd day after storms
By Ben Smith, For CNN
April 30, 2011 6:51 a.m. EDT


(CNN) -- As emergency responders continued to tally the dead on Saturday, surviving family members and friends prepared to bury loved ones who perished in what has become the second deadliest single-day tornado outbreak in U.S. history.

Among the victims for whom memorial services are planned in the coming days are three students of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The area has emerged as the focal point for the Wednesday disaster that swept through six southern states and has killed 342 people so far.

...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/30/severe.weather/index.html?hpt=T1

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: US: Storms rip across the South, killing over 350

US tornadoes toll rises over 350, thousands homeless

Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:33pm EDT
By Verna Gates

PLEASANT GROVE, Ala., April 30 (Reuters) - The death toll from the second deadliest U.S. tornado outbreak on record rose above 350 on Saturday as thousands of stunned survivors camped out in the shattered shells of their homes or moved into shelters or with friends.

With some estimates putting the number of homes and buildings destroyed close to 10,000, state and federal authorities in the U.S. South were still coming to terms with the scale of the devastation...

More...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/30/usa-weather-idUSN3025612120110430