Tornadoes Ravage the South

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 28, 2011 12:31PM

Monster storms and tornadoes roared through the southern United States yesterday, leaving entire neighborhoods razed in their wake and a death toll that currently stands at 173. Alabama appears to have suffered the brunt of the storm, with a death count currently at 128 in Alabama. The death toll is the largest total for a tornado since 1947.

Governors in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia have declared states of emergency. 137 tornado reports throughout the region were received by the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK. The Browns Ferry nuclear power plant, 30 miles west of Huntsville, had to switch to emergency diesel power. President Obama has already approved a request for federal assistance from Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley. 1,400 National Guard troops are in the state now providing assistance.

In a statement, the President said, "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."