By Pat Harris
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Tornadoes andthunderstorms shattered parts of the U.S. South on Tuesday andWednesday, killing at least 48 people and injuring more than150 in the deadliest such outbreak in nine years.
Hardest hit were the states of Tennessee -- where 24 died-- Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama, withunconfirmed reports of 69 tornadoes across the region andnorthward into Indiana, according to the National StormPrediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
The storms crumpled trucks on highways like toys andtrapped and killed people in splintered houses, factories andshops.
"This big of an outbreak is unusual on any day any time ofyear," centre metrologist Roger Edwards said. Tornadoestypically kill about 70 people in the United States each year.
The death toll rivalled that of the last large deadlyoutbreak in May 1999 in Oklahoma, Texas and other states, thecentre said.
The White House said President George W. Bush had calledthe governors of the affected states offering them consolationand support.
The weather service and state officials said 24 had died inTennessee, 13 in Arkansas and seven in Kentucky and four inAlabama. Injuries were widespread, with 149 people injured inTennessee 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. The twister alsoflattened a nearby home.
"This is a horrible situation," said Kentucky Gov. SteveBeshear, who ordered National Guard troops into two areas.
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.
Tina Johnson, 41, of Pinhook, Alabama, said she watchedfrom her home 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."
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.
'PRETTY ROUGH NIGHT'
"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 Bill Trott)
