Record wave of U.S. tornadoes kills 46!
RALEIGH, North Carolina - April 17, 2011 - The death toll in the tornado-battered southern United States rose to 46 Sunday as rescuers sifted through rubble, emergency officials in several states said.
Howling windstorms killed at least 22 people in North Carolina Saturday, The News & Observer reported.
Tornadoes and flash flooding killed seven people in Virginia Saturday, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
In one of the worst tornado outbreaks ever recorded, 241 twisters were reported in 14 states from Thursday through Saturday - from the Plains to the Midwest, Deep South and Carolinas, Accuweather.com said. Besides the fatalities in North Carolina and Virginia, the storms killed seven people in Arkansas, seven in Alabama, two in Oklahoma and one in Mississippi.
It cited a powerful jet stream, high humidity and a strong cold front as contributing factors.
