At least 173 dead across South

[marmar]

The Associated Press


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The death toll from severe storms that roared across the South has risen to 173 across five states with Alabama and Mississippi each reporting increases in the number of deaths in their states.

Alabama's emergency management agency says their death toll has gone up to 128, while Mississippi officials are reporting 32 dead in that state.

Another 11 have been killed in Georgia and one each in Tennessee and Virginia.

The fierce storms spawned tornadoes and have wiped out homes and businesses, forced a nuclear power plant to use backup generators and even prompted the evacuation of a National Weather Service office.


http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/storm-death-toll-rises-927854.html

[Renew Deal]

1. That's a shocking number.

I think we might need to kick in some funds somewhere.

[Cetacea]

17. It's over 213 now

As of 4/28

[ProdigalJunkMail]

19. as of 1322 eastern raised to 247 n/t

[aquart]

2. Back up generators for the nuke plant?

Uh huh. So glad they worked.

Am I just ignorant or is this death toll unusual?

[QC]

5. These storms were unusual. The one that hit Tuscaloosa was a mile wide

and, it is said, got bigger on its way to Birmingham. These were enormous storms.

[Recursion]

9. Reality is tail-heavy

Particularly as the climate changes.

[Scuba]

3. I can't wait to hear the religous right saying it's "God's punishment for voting Red!"

[PBS Poll-435]

6. Tacky

:(

[PassingFair]

11. Yeah, tacky...like that *hit never happens....

JERRY FALWELL: And I agree totally with you that the Lord has protected us so wonderfully these 225 years. And since 1812, this is the first time that we've been attacked on our soil and by far the worst results. And I fear, as Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, said yesterday, that this is only the beginning. And with biological warfare available to these monsters -- the Husseins, the Bin Ladens, the Arafats -- what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact -- if, in fact -- God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

PAT ROBERTSON: Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population.

JERRY FALWELL: The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.

PAT ROBERTSON: Well yes.

JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."

PAT ROBERTSON: Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system..

JERRY FALWELL: Pat, did you notice yesterday the ACLU and all the Christ-haters, People For the American Way, NOW, etc. were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress as they went out on the steps and called out on to God in prayer and sang "God Bless America" and said "let the ACLU be hanged". In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time - calling upon God. ~~~

PAT ROBERTSON: > Amen

[PBS Poll-435]

21. Falwell and Robertson - Yeah, thats where I would build my anecdotal church

Their statements are known for their flair for the crazy.


Don't like DUers to stoop to that level.

[PassingFair]

22. The poster said "I can't wait...

for the RELIGIOUS RIGHT...."

Stoop away.

[MineralMan]

4. That's a very high death toll for a storm. Very high.

I suspect it may go up even more as the day goes on. My thoughts go out to the people in those states.

[Recursion]

7. My dad sent me some pictures from around his home Mississippi

This is hurricane-level devestation.

[MineralMan]

8. I've been looking at news photos of the aftermath.

This was terrible. I watched some of the live coverage yesterday, too. I can only imagine how I'd feel if something like that Tuscaloosa tornado was anywhere near me. We're somewhat prone to tornadoes in Minnesota, too, but none have hit my particular area for a very long time. I hope that remains the case. We do have sirens in every neighborhood in St. Paul, where I live. They're tested on the first Wednesday of the month. When they go off at other times, I just head for the basement and turn on the radio to a station that goes nonstop weather whenever severe weather is in the area.

[Baclava]

18. Tornados suck - one minute your house is there, the next , it's gone

[PotatoChip]

10. Same here.

My thoughts and condolences go out to the poor people who were affected by these storms.

[underseasurveyor]

12. Latest number outta AP is 201 dead

Bigger and more numerous, very intense storms. Vicious!

I feel very very sad for all those that have lost everything plus their loved ones. Seems to be a lot of devastating loss in the world lately :-(

[RamboLiberal]

13. ABC more than 200!

My thoughts are with any DU'er and all others in the destruction areas! Hope all & your families and friends are safe!

[RebelOne]

14. That big tornado slammed Cartersville, a town just up the road

from me here in North Georgia. Luckily, it skipped over Woodstock where I live. They were still looking for bodies this morning. Won't know how many until local news comes on at noon. It flattened a lot of the town.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

15. lived in the Forest Lake neighborhood of Tuscaloosa for years

and now...where I lived...is gone...just gone...

sP

[Baclava]

16. Dozens Of Tornadoes Kill 201 In 6 Southern States

PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. -- Dozens of tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system wiped out neighborhoods across a wide swath of the South, killing at least 201 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, 16 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 regions into Wednesday night

(video)

http://www2.nbc4i.com/weather/2011/apr/28/5/storm-death-toll-rises-173-south-ar-469405/

[ontime1969]

20. Tuscaloosa's police chief on news this morning

He sounded like he just got out of a war zone, he was pleading for help from the state and feds. He said that all the police cars and the emergency coordination center was literally gone. Scary stuff. Hang in there peps.