Tuscaloosa news stories on Newser

Tornadoes' Toll 2nd Worst in US History

John Johnson — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 08:58:30 CDT

The tornado death toll keeps rising steadily. The seven-state total is now at 339, with nearly 250 of those in Alabama, reports AP . What's worse, rescuers in Tuscaloosa say the city's confirmed toll of 39 feels low, with scores of people still unaccounted for, notes the Tuscaloosa Times . The biggest...

South Begins to Dig Out of Tornadoes’ Devastation

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 07:52:25 CDT

In the wake of the deadliest American storms in nearly four decades, hard-hit states in the South are beginning to sift through the ruins as federal and state authorities prepare a giant cleanup effort. Some devastated areas are hardly recognizable, with homes and churches decimated, cars sent flying, and trees...

Tornado Death Toll Near 300; Obama Visits Tomorrow

John Johnson — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:19:39 CDT

President Obama will visit Alabama tomorrow to see the tornado devastation for himself and meet with families and Gov. Robert Bentley, reports AP . Meanwhile: The total death toll is at 280 and expected to rise. Alabama is the hardest hit with 194 fatalities, followed by Mississippi (33), Tennessee (33), Georgia...

Videos Show Huge Sweep of Tornadoes

John Johnson — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:46:30 CDT

As Alabama and the other states hit hard by yesterday's tornadoes clean up, no shortage of incredible video is emerging. See the gallery for a handful of selections. After surveying the damage, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox put it this way, according to CNN : "I don't know how anyone survived. We're...

Death Toll Near 270 in Southern Storms

Rob Quinn — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:07:54 CDT

A wave of tornado-spawning storms ripped through six states yesterday, killing at least 269 people and flattening buildings. Some 180 people died in Alabama alone, many of those in college-town Tuscaloosa, where a mile-wide tornado tore through the city's downtown, the AP reports. There were 33 casualties in Mississippi, 33...

Scenes of the South's Devastation

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:57:17 CDT

With the death toll at 194 and climbing as a result of the violent storms that rampaged across the South, the governors of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi have declared states of emergency. A nuclear plant near Huntsville, Ala., lost power and was relying on diesel generators, reports the AP. Click...

Katrina Tax Breaks Pay for Luxury Condos

Janice Eisen — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:56:05 CDT

Investors are using federal tax breaks designed to stimulate rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina to buy luxury condos being built near the University of Alabama’s football stadium, 200 miles from the coast, the AP reports. The Tuscaloosa developments, where units go for up to $1 million, are flourishing while much of...