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July 5, 2008 6:41:59 AM CDT

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Tornado Survivors Recall Horror

Posted Feb 6, 08 8:00 PM CST in US    Most Covered

(Newser) – As FEMA teams mobilized rescue efforts in the Southern states ravaged by yesterday's tornadoes, survivors combed through the wreckage today, sharing survival stories and clutching their faith. “It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground,” said Tennessee’s governor. The twisters, possibly spawned by a cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean, claimed 54 lives—the deadliest storm system in 23 years, AP reports.

“We had a beautiful neighborhood. Now it’s hell,” said a resident of Hartsville, Tenn., whose community was scorched by a twister-inspired fire. But miracles stories abound: A baby was found unharmed in a field, college students survived even though their dorm crashed around them, and one man explained how his family survived after the wind yanked open their door and nearly sucked them out: “We prayed.”

Source Associated Press

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Jeff Smith carries objects from his grandmother's home in Clinton, Ark., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. A tornado struck the town late Tuesday. At least 54 people were killed and hundreds injured Tuesday and...   (Associated Press)
This aerial shows a tornado-damaged building and a house, top, in Atkins, Ark., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)   (Associated Press)
Jeff Smith inspects the damage to the family home of his grandmother in Clinton, Ark., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, after a tornado struck the town late Tuesday. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., asked President Bush...   (Associated Press)
Dwight Johnson talks about the tornado in Aldridge Grove, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, that ripped through his home last night killing one of his dogs and a couple horses that he was boarding for a...   (Associated Press)
Tornado damaged dormitories and automobiles are seen on campus at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. The storm sent about 50 students to the hospital, nine with severe injuries....   (Associated Press)
Jerri Vanscoy, 30, reacts after seeing her house Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, in of Gassville, Ark. A tornado ripped through the city Tuesday evening, killing one and causing extensive damage. The state...   (Associated Press)
Jackie Baird gets emotional while looking over her mother-in-law's tornado damaged home, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008 in Atkins, Ark. (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath)   (Associated Press)
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