Crushed Miss. town checks Tornado damage

SMITHVILLE, Miss. town residents began trickling in were destroyed on Friday morning, picking through the crushed homes and businesses and looking for loved ones smashed and property. Rogelio v. Solis, AP

The wreckage remained Thursday in Jeep Phil Campbell, Ala., after Wednesday's Tornadoes.

Rogelio v. Solis, AP

The wreckage remained Thursday in Jeep Phil Campbell, Ala., after Wednesday's Tornadoes.

Powerful Tornado swept through the North Hamlet Mississippi and most of the South on Wednesday, splintering homes, shearing the roof and destroying lives. Smithville City Hall was destroyed in a local high school, four churches and each of the 14 enterprises of the city. Mattresses, hung from a tree branch, the cars were kept as if stepped on giant feet, and the three storey pine trees snapped in half, in the town of 857 inhabitants 13 were killed and 14 missing, Mayor Gregg Kennedy said. Search and rescue teams Friday continued to poke through the smashed concrete for survivors. More than 150 houses were destroyed and the entire city was evacuated late Thursday "I've never seen devastation like this," Kennedy said. Storms pummeled homes, shops, schools and churches in six States, as they moved east coast Wednesday, leaving a trail of more than 300 people. Alabama took the brunt of the devastation, reporting more than 220 storm related deaths. Other deaths were reported in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisianaand. More than 100 were wounded, 800 in Tuscaloosa only loss of life is the greatest outbreak of Tornadoes in the United States starting in March 1932, when the national weather service said storms 332 persons were killed by the national weather service survey. groups continued Friday to assess the damageThe Tornado outbreak. Several storm surveys were conducted on Thursday, with more planned for today so far, based on preliminary storm survey Weather Watch EF5 tornadoes, the strongest was in Monroe, Miss., that an estimated peak wind speed of 205 mph. Tornadoes 14 people were killed and another 40 were injured. This was the most powerful Tornado Hit Mississippi the March 1966 .the weather service also found evidence of at least six EF4 Tornadoes, including the estimated winds of 175 mph that ripped Catoosa County, Georgia, that killed seven people suffered the most damage to areas of Central Alabama still surveys today. In Alabama Weather Service reported that the immensity of the event, both in the extent of the damage and a large geographical area which it covers, it is likely to be a week or more before the survey can be completed. National Weather Service conducts surveys of damage in the first days after the Tornado outbreakto find out how many Tornadoes occur, as well as their estimated wind speed, width, and how long they were on the spot. President Obama arrived in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday to see the damage and met with gov. Robert Bentley. Late Thursday, he signed the Declaration, disaster for the State to provide federal aid for those who seek it as million homes and businesses were without power, and Bentley said 2000 was activated National Guard troops to assist. Governors of Mississippi and Georgia also issued emergency declarations for part of their States.Obama came across the wreckage and promised assistance to those who survived, but lost their homes in fear of flash. The President stated that: "I've never seen devastation like that." "We're going to make sure that you have not forgotten you," Obama said as he and first lady Michelle Obama walked the streets of mill neighborhood, he said that while nothing can be done for many people who were killed "along with God at this"-Obama assured support sustainable survivors President comments came as he absorbed by scenes from a community deeply deformed, Tornado, with trees and damaged houses. One young man said he witnessed Obama, repeal all around him, but he emerged with only cuts and bruises. "It's a blessing you are here", the President said.Obama said Tuscaloosa rebuild in such a way that would give him a story of pride, he would say of the whole nation as victims in Smithville, picked through debris across Alabama told that similar harrowing moments as Tornado roared through. When Irish Horton saw Tornadoesthe nearest Ridge for his house in Fultondale, a suburb of Birmingham, he left the kitchen, grabbed his wife Roland and ran in a closet in the bedroom. "I hugged her and kissed her, and I told her, "this," Horton said Friday that he protect your property from his two year old brick houses, loving couple since third grade, fell on their knees to pray when they came out of the closet after 20 minutes. Roof peeled from the living room and dining room. Nevertheless, Horton, secondary school physical education teacher and coach, said: "I feel so blessed."Close scene sadder, played by Vanessa Lessley worried about the fate of elderly friend who rode out the storm--and nowhere find a roof and walls were left out of the House, women and even a blanket in the bathroom, where she apparently took shelter with three grandchildren as a pair of notorious looked at homewomen, family member, stopped to say it was OK. Vanessa, 22, was driving from a storm in a house her MOM as people look for loved ones gawkers alike ducked under downed fiber and invade to get a look at the damage Friday morning. "I have never even heard about the storm is bad, "said Vanessa's husband, Jesse, 29. Dec Birmingham, h. King-Vaughan was to redeem what his home rubble through Friday gathering. He found photographs of his mother box containing ashes and his late aunt bathroom he crouched in a Tornado threw it across the street. Redemption-Vaughnbut remember, 63, flew across the street. He remembers waking to find himself under the shards of his house, which landed on top of other homes he broke through debris to free himself and ended up in hospital with two deep cuts on his legs "I just remember thinking, I don't want to dieI cannot die, "said he. City Pratt, where he lived is not intact homes. Tornado leaves and Bark stripped from a huge tree Tim Coleman, research meteorologist at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, which assesses the damage said stripped tree is an indication that the Tornado was EF5, the highest rating, can get Tornadoes. wind over 200 miles Points per hourHe says, "redeemed-Vaughn has its own description of the monster storm. "It was like a beast, he says. "This was an awesome thing in Mississippi 51 of 82 districts reported losses related to the storm, said Jeff rent, representative of the State Emergency Management Agency. Charred homes and miles of flat surroundings reminded emergency officials and residents of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina six years ago, he said "this is definitely a severe weather outbreak of historic significance for us," said rent. "But we can recover. We have shown this can be done. "

Promotion: Doyle Rice in Mclean, Virginia; The associated press

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