ktlight
28th April 2011, 06:56
A massive spring storm system tearing through central and southern United States, has left nearly 100 people dead across six states, emergency officials say.
The reported toll on Thursday was up from the six that officials reported earlier, bringing the total death toll of the storm to at least 96 over the past 24 hours.
At least 61 people died in the State of Alabama alone, including at least 15 in Tuscaloosa, where a massive tornado devastated the city, AP reported.
The storm destroyed the infrastructure of the city, where the major University of Alabama is located.
A hospital in the city said its emergency room had admitted at least 100 people.
Severe storms and tornados have also claimed 11 lives in the State of Mississippi, 10 in Georgia, 11 in Arkansas, two in Louisiana and one in Tennessee.
In north Alabama, a nuclear power plant west of the city of Huntsville lost power and was operating on diesel generators.
“What we faced today was massive damage on a scale we have not seen in Tuscaloosa in quite some time,'' said Mayor Walter Maddox of Tuscaloosa.
He added that he expected his city's death toll to rise.
US President Barack Obama has ordered the government to 'move quickly' to get search and rescue teams to the affected states.
The storm system extended major devastation Tuesday night and Wednesday from State of Texas to Virginia, and it was forecast to hit the Carolinas next before moving further northeast.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177106.html
The reported toll on Thursday was up from the six that officials reported earlier, bringing the total death toll of the storm to at least 96 over the past 24 hours.
At least 61 people died in the State of Alabama alone, including at least 15 in Tuscaloosa, where a massive tornado devastated the city, AP reported.
The storm destroyed the infrastructure of the city, where the major University of Alabama is located.
A hospital in the city said its emergency room had admitted at least 100 people.
Severe storms and tornados have also claimed 11 lives in the State of Mississippi, 10 in Georgia, 11 in Arkansas, two in Louisiana and one in Tennessee.
In north Alabama, a nuclear power plant west of the city of Huntsville lost power and was operating on diesel generators.
“What we faced today was massive damage on a scale we have not seen in Tuscaloosa in quite some time,'' said Mayor Walter Maddox of Tuscaloosa.
He added that he expected his city's death toll to rise.
US President Barack Obama has ordered the government to 'move quickly' to get search and rescue teams to the affected states.
The storm system extended major devastation Tuesday night and Wednesday from State of Texas to Virginia, and it was forecast to hit the Carolinas next before moving further northeast.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/177106.html