Fifty die as tornadoes sweep U.S. South

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Tornadoes andthunderstorms shattered parts of the U.S. South on Tuesday andWednesday, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than150 in the deadliest such storms in nine years.

The storms crumpled trucks on highways like toys andtrapped and killed people in splintered houses, factories andshops.

Tina Johnson, 41, of Pinhook, Alabama, said she watchedfrom her house as a tornado tore apart her barn.

"The lightning and rain started back up suddenly and thenwe could see the funnel cloud through the lightning," she said."The preacher's brick house across the street was destroyed anda mobile home nearby was nothing but a few pieces of tin."

Hardest hit were Tennessee -- where 26 died -- Arkansas,Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama, with unconfirmed reports of69 tornadoes across the region and northward into Indiana,according to the National Storm Prediction Center in Norman,Oklahoma.

The death toll rivalled that of the last large deadlyoutbreak in May 1999 in Oklahoma, Texas and other states, thecentre said, when about 50 people were killed. Tornadoestypically kill about 70 people in the United States each year.

The weather service and state officials said 26 people haddied in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas and seven in Kentucky andfour in Alabama. Injuries were widespread, with 149 people hurtin Tennessee alone.

"We know of eight dead and are still looking," said ShelvyLinville, mayor of Lafayette, Tennessee. "There's a lot ofdevastation."

A tornado struck the Columbia Gulf Transmission company inHartsville, Tennessee, and set off a natural gas fire that litup the early morning sky, officials said.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear described to CNN a trail ofdevastation in his state seen from the air.

"In the path of it there is nothing left and on either sideof it things are standing just like nothing has happened. It'san amazing picture to see."

BUILDINGS RIPPED APART

Kentucky National Guard spokesman David Altom said about 50soldiers were deployed and others put on stand-by.

"The mission right now is to protect the damaged homes fromlooting," he said.

Two of the states hit by the tornadoes -- Arkansas andTennessee -- were among the 24 "Super Tuesday" states that heldnominating contests before November's presidential election.Several candidates expressed condolences to victims as theyaddressed supporters.

The White House said President George W. Bush had calledthe governors of the affected states offering them consolationand support.

"It's a pretty rough night in the scope of it. I don't knowif I can remember when we've had as many (tornado) warnings andtouchdowns," Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said by telephone.

Mississippi reported no deaths but about 11 injuries aftertwo tornadoes ripped across an industrial park, seriouslydamaging a Caterpillar factory, and farm communities north ofthe University of Mississippi campus in Oxford.

The Jackson Sun newspaper in Tennessee reported a nursinghome was seriously damaged but the 114 residents were evacuatedsafely. A college in Jackson also was damaged, briefly trappingsome students in dormitories.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cotton in Mississippi, EdStoddard in Dallas, Doina Chiacu in Washington, Michael Conlonin Chicago, Verna Gates and Peggy Gargis in Birmingham, SteveBarnes in Little Rock and Matt Spetalnick in Washington;Writing by Mike Conlon; Editing by Stuart Grudgings)