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Alabama latest to be declared disaster
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Monday declared a major disaster in Alabama following severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in the state, the White House said. The action makes federal funding available in 16 counties. Supercell thunderstorms on May 7 generated at least 10 tornadoes and record flooding in Alabama, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the damage was from Lamar County to the northern edges of Birmingham. The designation adds to the list of other states hit hard by tornadoes -- a list that already includes Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma hit the hardestOfficials with Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were shaking their heads in disbelief Monday after yet another round of tornadoes hit the state over the weekend, capping more than a week of storms. "It was astounding," agency spokesman Kurt Pickering said. "I haven't seen a weather event that's been as strung out as this one" in the five years he has been with the agency. "Somewhere inside the borders of Tennessee, there was a tornado warning" for five straight days starting May 4, Pickering said. The agency's director, who has been on the job well over 30 years, also did not remember anything like this, Pickering said. Pickering said storms and flooding have claimed 16 lives in the state, but no one was killed or seriously injured when Sunday's twisters tore through middle Tennessee. During the past eight days, more than 8,000 structures throughout the state were damaged or destroyed, he said. "Most are residences, but there are some churches, businesses and outbuildings" affected as well, Pickering said. Preliminary damage assessment teams of federal, state and local officials continued their work Monday in a number of counties. President Bush declared major disaster areas in Tennessee and Missouri, and added parts of Oklahoma to the list Saturday after back-to-back tornadoes there. Those states endured the largest number of tornadoes, according to preliminary figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They join 16 others reporting 395 twisters during the period from Sunday, May 4 through Saturday, May 10. If those preliminary numbers hold, they would constitute the worst tornado outbreak during a seven-day period in the United States -- in terms of total number of tornadoes -- since NOAA began keeping records in 1950, said agency spokesman Joe Schaeffer. It would be more than double previous tornado numbers, Schaeffer said. Meanwhile, Missouri emergency officials reported improved weather conditions had given them the "opportunity to look around at some of the counties impacted over the weekend." "We had some pretty good storms going on Saturday," including a tornado in Lewis County, said Missouri Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jim Wakeman. The National Guard has been withdrawn from duty in the state as the cleanup continues, said Wakeman. Missouri's disaster field office is opening Monday in Springfield, he said.
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