Picking Up The Pieces

As rescue workers and survivors start picking up the pieces, we are starting to get a better idea of the magnitude and severity of last Wednesday's tornadoes in the South.

• CNN reports the official death toll this morning was 298. 

• 210 of those were killed in Alabama.

• CNN.com has a good summary of the casualties and damage by state.

• The Weather Channel has some video analysis, which helps you better understand the forces at work in these tornadoes and how they do their damage.

The Weather Service is also getting initial survey results suggesting that several EF4 tornadoes and at least one EF5 tornado were part of this tornado outbreak. This is one storm complex that meteorologists will be studying for years.

I also really want to point out the excellent work that Birmingham TV station ABC 33/40 is doing: they are posting on Youtube their aerial damage surveys from several different tornadoes.

From the Tuscaloosa/Birmingham tornado
Tuscaloosa Part 1
Tuscaloosa Part 2
Tuscaloosa Part 3
Tuscaloosa Part 4
Birmingham Part 1

From the Cullman, AL tornado

From the Cordova, AL tornado

From Hackleburg, AL (Part 1) (Part 2)

And there's more...