At least 55 people were killed, and hundreds more injured when dozens of tornadoes barreled across Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lafayette Fire Chief Keith Scruggs said, "We don't have recipe for disaster, but yet, mother nature delivered a blow that we just weren't prepared for."
Red Cross volunteers from the country will begin arriving in the devastated region today and F.E.M.A. teams have been deployed as well. The storms shouldn't have come as a surprise.
Government forecasters predicted the outbreak nearly a week beforehand and tornado warnings had been broadcast for hours before the twisters struck. "All the ingredients came together at the exact right time that produced this extremely unusual, out of season tornado outbreak," said Weather Channel Meteorologist Mike Bettes.
Still nothing could prepare students at Union University, in Jackson, Tennessee the disaster. "We just felt the pressure, just all of a sudden this pressure and people's ears were popping and all of a sudden there was all this noise," said Student Misty Farris.
Their dorms were devastated and dozens of students were hurt but somehow, they all survived.
