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CNN Live Saturday

Four Dead, 34 Injured After Storms Hit the Southeast

Aired November 24, 2001 - 17:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN MANN, CNN ANCHOR: At least four people are dead and 34 injured, after violent overnight storms in the southeast.

CNN's Natalie Pawelski has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The storm struck overnight, shaking people in their homes.

PERRY DAVIS, TORNADO SURVIVOR: All of sudden, I just kind of like hear some things breaking. And we just jumped on the floor. And I was just more concerned about my daughter on the other side of the house.

So we just kind of like got on the floor. And I just trying to crawl over to those other houses. And everything just started coming in, all the doors, all the windows, everything, just came right through.

PAWELSKI: Witnesses say one pre-dawn tornado in Mississippi picked up small buildings and tossed them around. Dozens of homes were damaged, many severely. And hundreds of families were left without power.

In Arkansas, another week-old tornado struck at about 2:40 in morning. In Tennessee, heavy winds damaged neighborhoods in suburban Memphis. And later in the day, in Haleyville, Alabama, yet another terrifying storm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), get to the back. And we went to the back. And we hit the floor.

PAWELSKI: Many paths with destruction with one cause, a giant cold front that spawned twisters and severe storms as it moved through the Southeast. One witness in Mississippi heard explosion like a gun battle and then heard people calling for help. Another saw a funnel cloud take the roof off his own house. A day of widespread violent weather few survivors are likely to forget.

Natalie Pawelski, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MANN: Just moment ago, we told you that four people had died in those storms. In fact, the toll is six people who've lost their lives.

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