pictures in, it may eventually look something like tuscaloosa. it may have been an f-3 or 4 tornado with wind speeds up to 200 miles an hour. i've been reading all the wire copy and listening to scanner. trees have lost their bark. literally the wind was so strong that the bark is gone from the trees. all of the limbs are gone. that tells me at least 150 miles per hour. and, obviously, the weather service still very busy with other storms. tornados are still on the ground right now, jacqui. >> yeah, a number of warnings across the midwest. watches that stretch over 1,000 miles. from the u.p. of michigan down into texas. so, this is a widespread outbreak. we've had 42 tornado reports just in the last five hours. we're going to continue to get more before the night is out. >> jacqui, i'm watching some of the raw video coming in. we have to turn it around to get it on the air. you and i have been monitoring the feeds. i hated to say it, but it looks like when i was down in alabama just a couple of weeks ago. i mean, these -- you heard chad say, bark

he took time to visit the storm ravaged tuscaloosa citych the actor talked with victims and volunteers and first responders. he decided to come after a student there reached out to him on twitter. the former star of "two and half men" is organizing a benefit for that ravaged state. >>> violent storms in mississippi caused massive destruction. a tornado destroyed the smithville school in monroe county. students resumed classes at two other schools within their district where they will finish out the remaining weeks of the semester. >> i know our kids will come in no matter where they are from and -- from and make the best of a terrible situation. >> i am glad we have somewhere to go to school and they brought us here but i am sad that our school is destroyed. an though they will rebuild it, hopefully. >> in all about 600 students areshoveled to the other schools. >>> 5:16. today, a maryland teacher will be honored at the white house as part of the ceremony. michelle has been selected as 2011 national teacher of the year. she taught 14 years in the maryland public school system and she t

spent a great deal of time with him on friday, i can say that he was focused on the devastation in tuscaloosa, and talked a lot about it in the wake of that is it -- that visit. the experience that i think what's unique about that -- when folks get an opportunity to meet the president, there are different ways that they do that -- town hall meetings, rope lines, things like that. but there's something unique about our president being able to meet individuals who have suffered such terrible things, as those residents of tuscaloosa did, and in their moment of despair, that is very powerful. he was focused on that. obviously, keep an ample, and then on to -- cape canaveral, and then on to the commencement address at miami-dade college. having said that, he was taking calls and up rather early, and the same thing on saturday and sunday pratt sunday, he spent a great deal of this date in the west wing, a situation room. >> other than at bin laden, what are his objectives as far as budget and debt limit? >> this is a continuation of its effort to bring leaders of congress here in a social setting w

david mattingly, cnn, tuscaloosa, alabama. >> you're in the cnn newsroom for this special report. this special joplin memorial service this sunday, may 29. it's going to begin any minute. live pictures of all those who have a ticket and a seat in place. president barack obama is also there. he's seen for himself the destruction that left behind the destruction of last world series eek tornado and he also met face to face with many of the survivors. our dan lothian is traveling with the president. he's also there in joplin. casey wian is there and jacqui jeras has more. dan, let's start with you, the focus here, his message to the people of joplin. >> reporter: the message being that the federal government will be here to assist inny way possible. he'll be delivering the remarks in a short time. he did get a chance to meet them up close, shake their hands. he promised that the federal government would take on this tragedy. that it was not just their tragedy alone but it would be a national response. also promising the federal government will be here long after the cameras lead. so

ton trong is in tuscaloosa for us tonight. good evening. >> reporter: brian, the death toll across seven states now stands at 328. 236 in alabama alone. search and recovery teams are just getting into the remote, hard-hit areas today. they're digging through huge debris piles looking for the missing. the governor estimates the damages could get as high as $5 billion. more than 800 people are living in shelters. thousands are living with family and friends, but despite all that, they're trying to get back to normal. most schools have reopened, and we visited one today. a lot of the kids there say they're happy to be back, and they're even happier to see their friends are safe and alive. >> in tuscaloosa, alabama, thanks for that update. >>> when we come back, tonight, our cameras go back to japan. it's been eight weeks since the quake, and what might surprise you tonight about the pace of recovery there. >>> and later, our series on americans serving their country far from home. tonight, what the job is like these days in afgha

familiar journey for the president, who just one month ago made a similar visit to tornado-ravaged tuscaloosa, alabama. in joplin today where at least 139 died and 40 people remain unaccounted for, survivors poured their hearts out to the president. he, in turn, reminded them that what happened to their community is a national tragedy. nbc's ron allen is in joplin with more on the president's visit. ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, lester. yes, it was a very powerful and emotional day here set against the stark backdrop of all this devastation and so many lives lost. the president said he admired the resolve of people here to recover and he promised them the nation would be behind them every step of the way. >> how are you guys doing? >> reporter: walking the streets of an eviscerated neighborhood, president obama took a good, hard look at what one of the deadliest tornadoes the nation has ever endured had done. >> when we were in tuscaloosa a few weeks ago i talked about how i had not seen devastation like that in my lifetime. you come here to joplin, and it is just as he

. >> reporter: in tuscaloosa alabama, where many kids and their families lost everything, kathryn mart and i know her team at t.j.'s bus hoped to restore some normalcy. >> when we drive sointo a disaster site they know this bus is for them, that it's special. >> reporter: martin understands loss. her son c.j. was just two when a deadly tornado tore through evansville, indiana, in 2005. he and 24 others were killed. >> it made me realize that i must be here for something. i've got to do something. you want to come in and color? >> reporter: so with this converted camper filled with toys and games, dubbed "c.j.'s bus," martin and her team are trying to create a safe haven... >> let's get you some toys. >> reporter: ...for kids in disaster zones. >> we're not mental health experts. we simply play with the kids. it's as basic as you get. >> it's great, something for the kids, and they ain't got to worry about no storm, no disaster, nothing like that. they've got a safe place where they can come together. >> reporter: and for children badly shaken by the storms, the bus provides comfort. >>

as dean reynolds will be telling us from tuscaloosa, alabama. then we're on to 10 downing street, the historic london residence that was just off the parade route of friday's royal wedding. katie couric will be taking us on a house tour this morning. >> couric: it's the most famous address in great britain. 10 downing street. >> this is churchill's favorite armchair. >> reporter: prime minister david cameron. >> these are the prime ministers all the way up. >> reporter: encountering the history and confronting the challenges of the united kingdom's highest office later on sunday morning. >> osgood: actor cary grant was born in britain. after moving to america he became hollywood royalty. now a quarter venturi after grant's death his daughter has many fond things to say about him. she'll be saying them this morning to our rita braver. >> reporter: cary grant was the ultimate leading man. dashing and debonair. but it was the role of real-life father that he relished. what do you want the world to know about cary grant that we don't know? that the.

in tuscaloosa, this family is starting their new lives together from scratch. four weeks after tieing the knot, they lost everything but did manage to find something to be thankful for. >> god is good because we only had this injury on my leg and my daughter got an injury on her leg. >> reporter: their story is like so many coming out of the area. volunteer organizations are racing to hard-hit areas, hoping to lighten the load for the thousands without shelter, food and basic necessities. >> whatever they need us to do, picking up tree limbs, giving water and food, whatever we need to do. >> reporter: all throughout this region tales of survival mixed with tails of tragedy. the man who owned this car dealership made it out alive but across the street a woman and her two young children were found dead. there is one common threat, however. the people of the south are pulling together and helping each other in this dramatic time of need. in concord, alabama, casey stegall, fox news. >>> well some folks in our area are joining the effort to help the victims of the

he said at the time when he was in tuscaloosa, that was the kind of devastation that he had never seen in his lifetime. he says, this tragedy here is just as heartbreaking, but in some ways, he said, it's even worse. >> all right, dan lothian live in joplin. >>> last sunday's twister left a mangled path of death and debris. initially said to be six miles wide. our casey wynn wanted to check it out for himself. what he found was a bit outstanding. >> reporter: show us the initial damage from the tornado. >> initially those trees start through there. and the stuff over here, that's a trailer for the business here, the working trailer. >> reporter: so, this is ground zero of the joplin tornado and we're going to drive its entire length from west to east to get a good picture of just how widespread the damage was. here's the first downed power lines. major electrical transmission lines. one reason much of joplin is without electrical power. so, less than a mile into our journey, you see the first homes that have lost poort art of the roofs. on this house, a sign warning, looters will be sh

. >> reporter: the death toll is rising in tuscaloosa, alabama. where the mayor says hundreds of people still have not been found. >> we are now up to five cadaver teams that are scouring the city. going through the rubble. looking for those that are missing. >> reporter: it is a grim task across alabama. the hardest hit of seven states pummeled this week by tornadoes. a total of at least 340 people died, making this the worst natural disaster in the u.s. since hurricane katrina. >> well, the number one priority has been for the last few days to focus on life safety. we've been doing search and rescue. and unfortunately, that is turning mostly to search now at this time. >> reporter: university of alabama football coach nick saban tried to lift a few spirits, stopping by a red cross shelter where 240 people spent the night friday. >> well, we are taking it one day at a time. but i know we're going to make it. >> reporter: the red cross also is cooking for people who still have homes but lost electricity. and providing mental health counselors. >>

>> reporter: tuscaloosa is certainly one of the hardest hit areas. tuscaloosa lost at least 40 people and nearly 1,000 others injured. entire neighborhoods like the one we're standing in were basically wiped off the map. mayor walt maddox is concerned as other news grabs the headlines that people across the nation will lose sight of residents suffering here. >> it's great that we were able to kill osama bin laden, but what about today? what about today's business? the thousands of people tonight in tuscaloosa who go to bed without homes, no ability to know what the future holds for them. please don't forget us. we have to deal with today and today we've got a lot of people hurting. >> reporter: now to make sure that the recovery process continues here in alabama, the governor here, governor bentley, says that the state is going to provide assistance to local governments to pay for debris removal for 30 days. jeff? >> elaine quijano in tuscaloosa, thanks very much. it is 7:15 right now. back over to erica and chris. >> jeff, thank you so much. >>> we

electricity is being restored to a large part of tuscaloosa. the electrical company here in alabama has done a pretty good job. we have heard no complaints about the effort to get the electricity back on here. however, several hundred thousand people are still without power, mostly in northern alabama where the transmission towers have been toppled. it will take a while to get those back up and running. >> where are now people staying? red cross? fema centers? neighbors taking in those that lost everything? >> reporter: all of that. the red cross set up 33 shelters in the state and a lot of full, and a lot staying with relatives and friends in other parts of the state, and coming back here and picking up belongings and going back and reassessing what they need to do to restart their lives. >> many thanks. >>> meanwhile, residents have been ordered to evacuate in one city because of potential flooding. more powerful spring storms making their way across the country. let's check in with alex for the latest forecast. >> good morning to you, alex,

. >> reporter: recovered from the rubble of tornado-ravaged tuscaloosa, a tattered u.s. flag is raised for inspiration, which is what the mayor pleads for, too. >> although we have been ravaged beyond comprehension, we still remain that shining city on a hill because the world has seen our faith in god and our faith in each other. >> reporter: the searches here have intensified because tuscaloosa still cannot account for close to 600 of its residents. going through the rubble, looking for those that are missing, we are taking the list of 570 that we have now and cross referencing it with sites and mapping to ensure that we track down every single lead. >> you know of people who did not survive or who remain missing? >> i do not know. we have not heard no names. >> a lack of communication is hurth those in pleasant grove, too. although betty and earl survived with granddaughter andrea in the basement of their now leveled house. >> and we were all right just standing like this. >> and there are so many people out here who weren't as lucky as we were. >> luck and donations

and then came the deadly outbreaks that devastated parts of tuscaloosa, alabama. leaving a death toll that reached beyond 300. so far this year, there have been over 450 reported tornado deaths, making 2011 already the ninth deadliest tornado season since 1875. so, what's happening in there's a persistent pat enof colder than normal air in the west drink by a powerful jet stream, colliding with warm, humid record heat in the south. resulting in a unstable and favorable pattern for severe patterns and tornadoes to develop over and over and over. >> this real has really been just the perfect year for tornadoes. >> reporter: climatologist heidi cullen writes about global warming but said you can't pin these tornadoes directly on to climate change. >> more extreme events like droughts, heat wave, wildfires, are phenomenon we expect to see more of as we move into a warmer world. >> reporter: what is clear in joplin, that no amount of warning could have prevented utter destruction and there is no sign of relief, with another powerful storm system moving into the plains

. >> reporter: when her tuscaloosa home was about to explode around her this past april, elaine davis and her husband took shelter. >> he said he could feel the wind and the pressure on the door. and there was just a big gust of dust and dirt. >> reporter: this is what saved them. a cold war-era atomic bomb shelter with concrete walls, several feet thick. the neighborhood above them was leveled. just as joplin was on sunday. and engineers say it's almost impossible to build a house able to withstand a tornado's furry. >> tornadoes can come in speeds up to 200 miles an hour and above. at some point, mother nature's physical force will overwhelm even the best engineering. >> reporter: watch these two houses bombarded with hurricane-force winds at a test facility. only the structurally reinforced home survives. tornado winds can be twice as powerful, and attack both vertically and horizontally. like a swirling sledge hammer. but installing impact resistant windows or latching the house together at the foundation and joints, with so-called hurricane ties, can help keep out the wind, and d

. >>> in the tornado ravaged town of tuscaloosa, alabama, it's not just streets getting cleaned up. tide has set up a free wash station to allow tornado victims to clean their clothes for free. >> this is for my son. it came from houston. and he has been working atrocious out there to remove debris and stuff and we just need to get his clothes washed. >> also a kiosk for batteries and free computer time and use of a phone to let loved ones know they're okay. more than 300 people died from that recent tornado cluster in the south including 41 in tuscaloosa. >>> 18 police officers in iraq were killed by a suicide bomber who crashed a vehicle outside their police building. it happened today in the city of hill will about 60 miles south of baghdad. more than 40 other people were injured. the officers were gathered in front of the building during a shift change. it's the second significant attack in iraq since the death of osama bin laden. >>> well, some native american groups are calling for an apology over the code name geronimo used during the raid to capture osama bin laden. he was a

from the destruction in tuscaloosa to small towns to the north hit just as hard. here in the outlying less populated areas there perhaps are a few more challenges but the response has been just as active. tornado victims have been streaming in since over the weekend, and volunteers hope much-needed donations will continue to flow in as well. but there are those in remote locations like elbert nixon of haileyville who feel left out. >> the only people that's been up through here is volunteers or family members to help people. >> reporter: fema's administrator, who toured the devastation, acknowledged his agency hasn't made it around to all affected areas just yet. >> in this case getting everybody in to get out there is taking us a little bit longer, but we're coming. >> reporter: people like the grecis are waiting. >> i feel really good about the future. i mean, so many people have come forward to us and i mean immediately following the storm we had help right off the bat. >> reporter: others are waiting, too. optimistic about what lie ahead, the worst they hope b

. >> reporter: when her tuscaloosa home was about to explode around her this past april, elaine davis and her husband took shelter. >> he said he could feel the wind and the pressure on the door, and there was just a big gust of dust and dirt. >> reporter: this is what saved them: a cold war-era atomic bomb shelter with concrete walls several feet thick. the neighborhood above them was leveled, just as joplin was on sunday, and engineers say it's almost impossible to build a house able to withstand a tornado's fury. >> tornadoes can come in speeds up to 200 miles an hour and above. at some point, mother nature's physical force will overwhelm even the best engineering. >> reporter: watch these two houses bombarded with hurricane- force winds at a test facility. only the structurally reinforced home survives. tornado winds can be twice as powerful and attack both vertically and horizontally, like a swirling sledgehammer. but installing impact-resistant windows or latching the house together at the foundation and joints with so-called hurricane ties can help keep out the wind and delay a

my partner here on "cnn saturday morning" and "cnn sunday morning," bfl wfl is live for news tuscaloosa, alabama. good morning to you once again. what is road to like? >> reporter:ed it today a lot of the faces and a lot of the shock and some of the things you'll see. for example this parking lot, this vehicle which actually tells an amazing story, t.j., what i'd love you to know about this and our friends from across america, this vehicle was owned by a nurse, a local nurse with two children, she showed up here moments before the tornado struck and she got shelter inside the church. what's amazing about this particular nurse is that her home was destroyed by a tornado just a few weeks before. she showed up at this church, gets shelter, she's safe and then in the ensuing hours was able to treat hundreds of people that came here with a variety of wounds, so she potentially saved lives. another amazing story we'll explore later this morning is what happened inside the church, they started a food bank about a month ago and that food bank, got food, water, canned goods will now be helping o

rarer still for them to find population centers like tuscaloosa and now joplin. anthony mason, cbs news, new york. >> here's what else is happening tonight. there is another natural disaster unfolding this evening, this one threatens air travel. iceland's largest volcano is sending a giant cloud of ash into the sky. it is not the same volcano that caused chaos last year, but dozens of flights into and out of great britain have been canceled. the cloud is expected to affect hundreds of miles of air space. with that ash bearing down on europe, president obama left ireland a few hours early and flew to london this evening, but not before visiting the tiny village that was home to his great-great-great-grandfather on his mother's side. the president's visit included a trip to a local pub. his motorcade run into some trouble leaving the u.s. embassy. one of the presidential limos, which the president was not in, bottomed out and got stuck, causing a slight delay. up next on tonight's cbs evening news, a bombshell in chicago terrorism trial. was an american ally behind

the mayor of tuscaloosa, alabama says 240 people were still missing as of yesterday afternoon. state fills are getting a clearer picture of the economic toll as well. they say it will likely top the $1 billion worth ofen assured losses that hit alabama after hurricane katrina. >> the pictures are still astounding still even a week later to watch that. thankfully, we are not going to have anything like that in our area. >> we have rain showers moving through. we have had some thunderstorm activity to the south and east. mainly, it looks like it is some areas of rain coming thruway couple of spots of heavy rain. and it will primarily be during the morning hours. let's take a look at radar. we'll show you how things are shaping up across the region early this morning. you can see the rain showers as they come through. we were seeing some thunderstorm activity across some portions of southern maryland into eastern maryland. that is where we are seeing the heaviest activity. we are seeing some lightning there as well. we'll keep our eyes on that. that is near salisbury, cambridge, p

looking to lend a helping hand in tuscaloosa, alabama. volunteers helped unload bags of ice yesterday. others decided to grill up some food. others helped organize donations. volunteers say many people have nothing left after the devastating storm. >> my second home here, and i just feel like i had to come back and do something today. >> they've lost everything. i think water and food are coming, and they're very appreciative of that. but the clothing that we had, has just been taken so quickly. >> across the south, several other tornadoes devastated the region. the death toll has now reached 339 across seven states. >>> senator barbara boxer is reiterating the call to oil companies, she says they need to do a better job of fulfill be energy needs. >> we need to pressure oil refiners to step up, and increase their production of refined gasoline, and keep the gasoline here in the united states when it's found here in the united states. >> boxer made her comments yesterday at los angeles exxon station. this past week, exxonmobil reported a

from the destruction in tuscaloosa, to small towns to the north hit just as hard. here in the outlying, and less populated areas, there are perhaps a few more challenges, but the response has been just as active. tornado victims have been streaming in, since over the weekend, and volume is tears hope much-needed donations will continue to flow in as well. but there are those in remote locations who feel left out. >> all the only people who have been up here is volunteers. >> reporter: people who toured the devastation acknowledge the agency hasn't made it to all of the effected areas just yet. >> it's taking us a little bit longer, but we're coming. >> reporter: people like the grekees are waiting. >> i feel good about the future. so many people have come forth to us. and i mean, immediately following the storm, we had help right off the bat. >> reporter: others are waiting, too. optimistic about what lie ahead, the rst, they hope, behind them. ron motte, nbc news, hamilton, alabama. >>> at this point, here, as we come to the end of the half hour, depending on your

when we were in tuscaloosa few weeks ago, i talked about i had not seen devastation like that in my lifetime. you come here to joplin, and it is just as heartbreaking, and in some ways, even more heartbreaking. i want to thank the outstanding work that the governor and the mayor and the congressional delegation as well as the first lady have done, and the red cross, in helping people, but, obviously, it is going to take wears to build a back, and mourn the loss of lives. we will go to a memorial service and let them know that we are thinking about them. we had a chance to meet some of the folks who lived in this community, and just harrowing stories, but also miraculous stories. i met an 85-year-old gentleman who explains how we just got his chicken potpie out, and the storm came, in he went in the closet and came out without a scratch, so there are happy stories to tell, but obviously, there has been a lot of hardship, as well. the main thing i want to do for the people of joplin, this is not just your tragedy. this is a national tragedy, and that means there will be a national response. pr

cnn's reynolds wolf joins us live from the hard-hit city of tuscaloosa. reynolds, it wasn't just state officials touring the disaster zone this weekend. but apparently a few entertainers have come out including the likes of bill cosby. why and what's the message? >> reporter: absolutely. we've all been really been focusing in on tuscaloosa and with very good reason. but there are many places around the alabama that have been devastated by this tornado. pratt city, a smaller community just to the northwest of downtown birmingham, as we go to the video, i want to show you this video. you can see a couple of people, one of the people you mentioned, very familiar to just about everyone tuning in. we have mayor william bell of birmingham but bill cosby touring pratt city. i think both of them really taken aback by the damage, specifically in that area. >> what i've seen of trucks and maintenance things coming to clear up, as long as that's happening -- and i think people have learned from katrina this this is reality. and your mayor to make sure so quickly, so

this is a little different look than the one that rolled through tuscaloosa and alabama. that was a more distinct super cell on the ground and rotating for 200, 300 miles. this one just blowing up in the southeast corner of kansas and making its way across joplin, missouri. we mentioned the lead time as far as the warning goes. over 22 minutes of lead time from the time the national weather service issued that warning from when it struck. so this could have been a lot worse for sure let's look at the storm reports for the day. we had 48 reports of tornadoes stretching from as far north as minnesota to as far south as parts of oklahoma and the one that rolled through joplin, missouri. devastating day with over 700 reports of severe weather yesterday. the threat for today, not quite as bad but it's a little more widespread from oklahoma all the way to d.c., a slight risk of seeing some thunderstorms that could produce severe weather. i think tomorrow will be a bigger day as far as a bull's eye in the more typical spots that does include southwestern missouri again. as far a

we bring in reynolds wolf who is in there in the south at a red cross relief center in tuscaloosa. i have been hitting on this this morning that last week we woke up to these tornados and then a lot of royal wedding coverage and then osama bin laden was killed and that took so much of the headlines all week. it seems like, you know, remind our viewers here just how historic of a week we saw last week even though, unfortunately, this story seems to moved away from the headlines. >> no question about it, t.j. certainly the worst natural disaster in the state of alabama's history, maybe in the nation. it's something that will take the region a very long time to recover. i can tell you right now at this particular relief disaster, it is 1 of 11 here in the state of alabama. over 50 nationwide. people have been coming in here and doing everything from showers to hot meals and something to drink and anything from dental care, regular health care, it's amazing. one-stop shop for people who have lost everything and amazing thing to see people volunteering and helping out fellow americans.

last high risk day we had was tuscaloosa. that's what they are talking about. when the warm and cold come together and hit each other, you could always get big weather. there is some big weather across parts of missouri and arkansas right now. but severe weather talks about wind. the only tornado threat right now is western oklahoma. it's all about this warm and cold. when the cool air is aloft and it's nice and cool up here and warm air wants to push the cool air up and you get bubbling and bubbling, there it goes. it's humid, muggy, it's a tornado day. you smell it in oklahoma sometimes. you just know the humidity is in the air. you walk outside and the wind is just howling. you think, this is not going to be good. the storms go up and up and up and form hail across the upper and middle levels and the hail is spinning around and it gets translated to the ground and eventually all of that upward motion turns into a center where it's called a m oechlt socyclone and then it can be a tornado. here's downtown joplin. it did not go through downtown joplin. it was a

. >> it looks like a wider debris field than we just saw in tuscaloosa. having covered my share of these tornados, i thought i would never see anything to eqwa equal that. it looks like this has been broken today. bill karins has the weather channel forecast. >> the understanding of that we were dealing with. it was a month ago i was telling everyone about the alabama, mississippi and georgia tornados. here a month later, we are dealing with one of the worst fatalitywise to go through a metropolitan area. 50,000 people live in joplin this was a look at the radar. notice how it hooks around the storm. we knew it was a devastating tornado when we saw the white pop up there. that is the tornado picking up shingles, trees, whatever was in its way and tossing the lighter objects 10 to 20,000 feet in the air. it is unbelievable what they will be dealing with there. the town was devastated. our thoughts with everyone there in missouri. >> we will check in with you in a bit. first to otherness this morning. the field of republican candidates hoping to take on pre

one, again, with the operations center and theater is tuscaloosa news. tuscaloosa news launched a crowd map which is basically an open platform where you can actually take pieces of public information like to order and it's believed to it can go on a map suite for the project and this project and we need to reimburse the project. we have about 50 volunteers associated with another organization called standby task force and people are basically, in the internet right now as we speak to find means that people are saying in alabama. so they're taking the information and cataloguing it and putting it on the crowd map the tuscaloosa news have generated. and we know there's a crowd map that is a product in an open mapping platform and that is the platform you saw that was deployed during haiti and also deployed during of the japan crisis that we saw earlier this year. we see a crowd that is deployed but the crowd map may not be exactly the right tool because the platform because you're dealing with a lot of low-income a lot of information come a lot of customi

it is a promise i made here in joplin or in tuscaloosa. or any of the communities that have been hit by these devastating storms over the last few weeks. there have been countless acts of selflessness in recent days. . . . it was dean wells, a husband and father who loved to sing and whistle in his church choir. dean was working a shift at the home depot. managing the electrical department, when the siren rang out. he sprang into action moving people to safety. over and over again, he went back for others until a wall came down on top of him. in the end, most of the building was destroyed. but not where dean had directed his coworkers and his customers. there was a young man named christopher lucas who was 26 years old. father of two daughters, third daughter on the way. just like any other night, christopher was doing his job as manager on duty at pizza hut. and then he heard the storm coming. it was then when this former sailor quickly ushered everybody into the walk-in freezer. the only problem was the freezer door wouldn't stay closed

the hardest hit was tuscaloosa, alabama. 39 people died and survivors are looking for neighbors, friends janet lau pala tunnel, toward the area. >> --nepalitano - >> not a quick one but a complete recovery. >>reporter: flooded homes beating several without houses and shelters provided food and supplies by the red cross. >> all i can do is cry because i miss my house. >>reporter: federalese disasters are getting helped to mimic-federal relief helpers' are guiding people to the red tape. >>pam: the program and not the giants to be on nbc, the kron 4 news will be on at 9:00 p.m. we will be back. >>pam: this body was found early this morning and chinatown. investigators were called the 6:20. building and voice on this woman's body partially closed on an exterior. at this time they do not know the cause of death. this is the city's 34th homicide. oakland had 31 deaths this time last year. (music) >> jacqueline: a live look from golden gate bridge. fog closed to the coast. and it will stack and early tomorrow. overnight the conditions will be clouds. tomorrow morning and that fog is going to b

the death toll remains at 343, 250 of the dead are in alabama, 39 of them are here in tuscaloosa. a lot of neighbors are missing, relatives are gone, and landmarks that everyone used to become so familiar with are also missing here in alabama. its path was about 100 miles long, and today meteorologists are expected to announce the scale, the strength of the tornado that came through tuscaloosa. everyone imagines it's probably a 4 or 5 on the scale, meaning that winds were more than 200 miles an hour. it's very evident by the debris field that you see here. alex? >> it is absolutely incredible. does this stretch as far as the eye can see, charles? when you look, you see a few walls standing and the like, but pretty much utter devastation in all directions? >> reporter: yeah, you can see -- this is part of a japanese restaurant that was destroyed, but beyond this, you can see the scar that goes on for miles across alabama, across hilltops, across lakes and streams. nothing was left untouched in the past of this storm as i say, was about 100 miles long across parts of alabama. >> unb

on monday, charlie sheen was posing for pictures and lending his support for people in tuscaloosa. >> i'm hopeful i can do whatever i can. >> in areas wounded by wicked weather an attempt to heal. >> now it's moving up to illinois and missouri with flooding. tornadoes and flooding. it's not only here, but take a look at this tornado. i'll tell you where it hit and show you some of the damage that it left behind. >> and we're looking right now live from mount tamalpais at a clearing day that. what day will we set record highs? possibly thursday. >> and bay area teacher makes a special visit to white house today. >> as president obama celebrates everything about teachers. ♪ [ male announcer ] our tv service than comcast can give, now's a great time to switch to at&t u-verse tv. make the switch! [ female announcer ] call to get at&t u-verse -- now with free hd -- for only $29 a month for six months. or get $300 back via promotion card with a qualifying u-verse bundle. [ male announcer ] u-verse tv lets you record up to four shows at once on a single dvr. and you can record and play bac

the tuscaloosa city volunteer help line has gotten calls from as far away as california and new hampshire from people wanting to help. >> we are coming to the realization that this process will be difficult. it will be painful. and it will take a lot of time for us to make it through. >> the university of alabama student school year ended early because of the weather. if you would like to help survivors, log on to our website, wbaltv.com, were you will find information on how to help. wheels of pictures on the devastation and a slide show explain it -- we have pictures on the devastation and a slide show explaining how the tornadoes occur. you can e-mail your questions to wbaltv.com look at you. body rested. stress gone. mind sharp. because unisom gave you deep restful sleep all night. morning early birds. unisom. good night. good morning. >> you do not have to buy a new car to save on yes. it can be done with some simple driving techniques. >> steve chase is a man who started hyper mile in by accident after a got a $150 speeding ticket. he says that his mileage went from 22 mpg to 26 mpg

sheen meeting with officials in tuscaloosa. sheen promised to perform a show for charlie. >>> mike hellgren takes you inside the case of gross who says he is innocent and caught in a political nightmare. >> reporter: alan gross went to a comfortable life in the baltimore suburbs to living in prison. the family know fears he could die inside the communist jail. >> reporter: gross is either working on a secret u.s. government mission to bring democracy to cuba or a humanitarian. gross grew up in baltimore and from an early age loved to travel. his close friend told he turned that passion into his life's work. helping the needy in far corners of the world. >> extremely dedicated to progressive causes. he would know small details about the country he was in. because he traveled all over the world. extremely intelligent. >> reporter: his most harrowing journey began five years ago. gross went back and forth from the united states to cuba. those trips quickly caught the attention of authorities in cuba who thought gross was trying to

right now the city of tuscaloosa is working out a deal with the corps of engineers to oversee and pay for the cleanup which could start as early as the end of the week. jay gray, nbc news, tuscaloosa. >> and that's news 4 at 4:00. >> "news 4 at 5:00" starts right now. >> you're watching nbc 4, washington's news leader. now, live in hd, this is "news 4 at 5:00." >> tonight on news 4 at 5:00, the hunt for the world's most wanted is over. but the threat is not. >> al qaeda still remains a threat. they're still going to try to attack our country. >> from our safety to serious questions, how did osama bin laden manage to live inside this massive compound? and how did pakistani security forces manage to miss it? >> the story emerging today is changing. good evening. i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. wendy rieger is off tonight. days after the death of osama bin laden, there are new details about the attack. it turns out the al qaeda leader did not have a weapon and navy s.e.a.l.s handcuffed people with plastic zip ties before killing bin laden. tonight, there are also questions. u.s.

this is holt, alabama, just northeast of tuscaloosa proper. this is where her relief efforts are stationed. some of the homes you see back there that are obviously not really homes anymore, people are still kind of living there. they've lived here 40, 50 year. they don't really want to move or go to a shelter. so they're coming out to see lorinda and getting the supplies they need and going back to whatever makeshift shelter they may still have. life is going on, albeit in a much, much different way here across parts of alabama than it was a week ago. >> that's extraordinary. a lot of open arms and open hearts. we're seeing it in so many different ways. thanks so much, rob marciano. to find out how you can make a difference to help tornado victims in the south, visit our impact your world page. that's at cnn.com/impact. >>> so the national weather service now confirming that the tornado that nearly wiped hackleburg, alabama, off the map was an ef-5. that means winds of more than 200 miles per hour. cnn's martin savidge talked with one woman wh

john roberts is covering this story for us, continues to from tuscaloosa. john, a week has gone by and the images are no easier to look at. >> reporter: as you can see behind me, martha, six days after the tornado hit last wed things look pretty much the same way they did the day after the tornado with a small exception, they've strung up power lines along new power poles trying to get the infrastructure back in place. even now we are hearing incredible stories of survival from this storm which has now been measured preliminarily as an ef4 with koeupbdz of 190 miles an hour. i met lea cobb. they were in the living room when the winds of 190 miles slammed into them. she is a very, very religious woman. she and her children were praying that the storm would spare them. her 17-year-old son rose to his knees and got sucked out of the house just then. listen to how she described it for me. >> he said you can have my you y family, in the name of jesus you have to go. that gave the opportunity for it to suck him out. i heard off in the distance. he said, oh my bac

resuming classes today, tuscaloosa city schools. alabama students will be returning today after last week's deadly tornados. over 300 people were killed last week, most of them in alabama. >>> prince charles' tour takes him to the white house. >>> and today will mark the shooting of kent state university. on this day in 1970, ohio national guardsmen opened fire during a protest. four students were killed. >>> all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." >>> and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. "today" takes you inside osama bin laden's sprawling compound as new details emerge about his death. >>> and music superstar shaniya twain is live in studio talking about her comeback from personal ruin. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first

on monday, charlie sheen was posing for pictures and lending his support for people in tuscaloosa. >> i'm hopeful i can do whatever i can. >> in areas wounded by wicked weather an attempt to heal. >> now it's moving up to illinois and missouri with flooding. tornadoes and flooding. it's not only here, but take a look at this tornado. i'll tell you where it hit and show you some of the damage that it left behind. >> and we're looking right now live from mount tamalpais at a clearing day that. what day will we set record highs? possibly thursday. >> and bay area teacher makes a special visit to white house today. >> as president obama celebrates create my oasis. marcy: ok, romantic garden? bree: oh, is there a castle nearby? marcy: no, but there's a charming farmhouse. bree: right next to my posh castle! i'm sensing a theme here. well, i am the queen, dear sister. >>> we're lucky to have great weather here but other folks are not so lucky. >> this is something different but all the way to new zealand where we're seeing a tornado that happened earlier today. it's about a three-mile path.

wanted to show you this video which is the track of the tornadoes that were passing across, this was tuscaloosa from noaa surveillance craft. some were leveled. the tornado in the midwest cyclones are fearsome whirlwinds. they are still killers. more than 600 tornadoes including some killer tornadoes tore across the country last month. this is what an e.f-5 did several years ago. you can imagine what last month was like. these types of tornadoes are rare. the vast majority are small and seemingly delicate. they still can produce winds of 100 miles per hour. the weather service monitors data from not one but five doppler radars including a local airport dollars, allowing us to see more storms of high resolution. >> this is another jump forward in technology. >> we're learning more about how these whirlwinds form and this effect. that was the doppler effect. this is one of the numerous doppler radars in the washington area. just as the sound changes as the horn is moving toward or away from you the frequency of the radar signal will change when precipitation is moving toward or away from the rada

tuscaloosa. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. in an eso i takegive you one a day men's 50+ advantage. as a manager, my team counts on me to stay focused. it's the only complete multivitamin with ginkgo to support memory and concentration. plus it supports heart health. [ bat cracks ] that's a hit. one a day men's. and all we need to do is change the way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all acros

right now the city of tuscaloosa is working out a deal with the corps of engineers to oversee and pay for the cleanup which could start as early as the end of the week. jay gray, nbc news, tuscaloosa. >>> coming up tonight, a circle of friends broke their silence one year after the murder of lacrosse player yardley love. >>> i'm julie carey. alongside route 50 where a major construction project i >>> you're watching news 4 at 6:00. >> some kayakers were pulled out of the chilly waters of the potomac river this afternoon. a group was out kayaking about 1:00 or so when they got caught in rough water out there. at least two of the kayaks capsized. fire boats had to go out and pull everybody in. nobody seriously injured. >> been kind of a rough spring out on the potomac. >> it really has. another coastal flood advisory today. at times at high tide around 9:30, 10:00. one to two-foot tidal departures. if you know you are in an area that could flood you'll see that area again. alexandria, places like that. flooding is, though, a huge concern in other locations. this was an area that was h

mitchell and she got a group of folks she'd never met, she came to tuscaloosa and they were just bonded by the desire to help people, i mean, it's inspiring. >> reporter: certainly that part of the story sin entiring. the amount of people and good energy. but the cold hard facts remain that this mess will be here for months if not years to recover. search and rescue operations still continue, surge and recovery i should say. there hasn't been any much good news on that frornnt. there it are still 300 people, considered to be unaccounted for in this area. and that number is frightening. back to you. >> all right, rob, thank you. once again, we want to remind that you we're waiting for the white house briefing to start any moment. jay carney is expected to be joined by members of the national security team. two expect new details on how they got osama bin laden overnight. so we'll have much more from ground zero. stay with us. "you just beat the widow-maker." i was put on an aspirin, and it's part of my regimen now. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an asp

it's raining in tuscaloosa right now, tom says. preliminary estimates show 226 tornados touched down in last week's storms. more than 340 people were killed. >> and our hats off to those students. >> that's wonderful. >> really being a part of the community like that. that's great to see. >> as i said, they treat it as if it's their hometown. >> it is 5:38, 65 degrees. a royal visitor. prince charles is coming to town, and he is going to be busy. why he's making a stop at a local garden. >>> also, what's inside the box? it will soon be on display in the district. >>> when we could see steer storms here today. [ female announcer ] why is travel these days about what you give up, and not what you get? like electricity, for gadget power at your seat. room to stretch your legs, and your wingspan. food when you're hungry. and taking off your shoes, only if you feel like it. these aren't luxuries, they're basics. get them back on acela. [ male announcer ] amtrak guest rewards members earn up to triple points this spring. visit amtrak.com

all i can say is it looks very reminiscent of what we saw last month in -- excuse me -- in tuscaloosa. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. and today, we're re-inventing aspirin for pain relief. with new extra-strength bayer advanced aspirin. it has microparticles so it enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief right to the site of your tough pain. ♪ in fact, it's clinically proven to relieve pain twice as fast. new bayer advanced aspirin. extra strength pain relief, twice as fast. >> i am! >> some of the images we saw from earlier. we're with mayor mike woolston, mayor of joplin. at this point 116 is still the death toll? >> correct. >> 17 people have been pulled alive? >> that numbe

let's turn now to charles hadlock live in tuscaloosa for us. good day. schools are reopening here today. has that done anything to lift the mood there? >> it is, alex. in fact, i just got back from the pleasant grove elementary school in the small town of pleasant groe pleasant grove, 50 miles from tuscaloo tuscaloosa. the school is still intact. the classes have resumed there. of the people going back, nine teachers lost their homes. a cafeteria worker lost her daughter who went to school here at the university of alabama none of the students were killed but many of them lost loved ones and their hopes. today was a connection with reality, getting back to school, getting back to normal as best they can. and the teachers there said we're putting away the math books, we're putting away the e english books. today we're just giving hugs. >> probably a lot of talk amongst themselves and sharing stories. thank you. >>> in the wake of the intelligence success that led to finding osama bin laden there's renewed debate over the enhanced interrogation techniques