Awwal 24, 1432 / April 28, 2011, SPA -- The death toll in the south-eastern United States from a series of tornadoes had risen to as high as 173 on Thursday, far higher than previously given, US media reported, citing authorities, according to dpa. With daylight, the extent of the devastation became more apparent, with officials in the state of Alabama reporting 128 dead across the state. Late Wednesday, the figure had been put at around 50 killed. Particularly hard-hit were such cities as Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed and dozens of roads made impassable by at least one strong tornado in Tuscaloosa. "It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Tuscaloosa mayor Walter Maddox told CNN. In Birmingham, Mayor William Bell described a swath of destruction "probably a mile wide" while Red Cross officials reported a large number of ambulances on the streets of the city. It was "just like taxicabs in New York," Red Cross spokesman Chris Osborne said. Besides Alabama, the New York Times said at least 32 people were killed in the state of Mississippi. Emergency management officials also reported a further 11 killed in Georgia, and at least one fatality each in the states of Arkansas and Tennessee. In addition to the tornadoes, the region from Texas to Tennessee was also hit by heavy rains, with flooding reported in areas and hundreds of thousands of people without electricity after the storm system toppled numerous utility poles. Late Wednesday, US President Barack Obama ordered immediate federal help for Alabama including search and rescue units. "Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation, and we commend the heroic efforts of those who have been working tirelessly to respond to this disaster," Obama said in a statement. Hundreds of US national guardsmen have been mobilized to aid in the hardest hit areas.
