At least 178 dead, hundreds injured as tornadoes, thunderstorms hit South

Hardest hit was Alabama where 128 people died, most when a mile-wide tornado gouged its way across the state.

Storms also killed 32 in Mississippi, 11 in Georgia and one each in Tennessee and Virginia.

In Tuscaloosa, where at least 15 people were killed, some neighborhoods were reduced to rubble and drivers abandoned cars in streets littered with downed trees and power lines.

"What we faced today was massive damage on a scale we have not seen in Tuscaloosa in quite some time," said Walter Maddox, mayor of the 83,000 population town.

One hospital emergency room took in 100 people.

A Birmingham family was trapped briefly in their home by uprooted trees.

"As I was grabbing my daughter and running to the closet, they hit the house," said Lisa Hey, who estimated 90% of the trees in her neighborhood were toppled.

"Teams have pre-deployed to begin debris removal and search and rescue operations as soon as conditions permit," said Alabama emergency agency spokeswoman Lauree Ashcom in a statement.

Jimmy King's garage shop in Arab, Ala., was destroyed. (Robin Conn/AP)

The monster twisters forced three nuclear reactors in Alabama to shut, leaving about 245,000 households and businesses in Alabama without power.

A Louisiana police officer was killed at a campsite in Choctaw County, Miss., when a tree fell onto his tent as he used his body to shield his 9-year-old daughter, said Kim Korthuis, a supervisor with the National Park Service.

"She wasn't hurt, just scared and soaking wet," said Greg Maier, a campsite volunteer.

Much of northern Texas, including areas recently charred by wildfires, also was pounded by tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

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