Bush Surveys Tornado Damage As South Mourns

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. -- An Arkansas pastor said a family killed by tornadoes that barreled through the South "wouldn't have wanted one to go without the other."

The three died as they tried to quiet their horses on their rural lot as the storm neared. Their funeral was held Friday. So many showed up to remember the family, the crowd overflowed into a gymnasium where peopled watched the service on TVs.

The funeral is among the first held for the 59 people killed by the storms.

President George W. Bush toured the hardest-hit region Friday, reported WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn.

Bush visited Tennessee's Macon County, an area now saddled with picking up the pieces after the storms as well as worrying about looting, power shortages, and residents who are still missing.

Even before Bush landed Friday morning, he declared major disasters in Tennessee and Arkansas, a move that opened the spigot of federal funding to cover some costs, shared with local governments, for debris removal and protective measures and to help individuals.

"There's no doubt in my mind this community will come back better than before," Bush said in the poor tobacco-farming area near the Kentucky border. "Macon County people are down-to-earth, hardworking, God-fearing people. They're just getting a little help and will come back stronger."

He was traveling with members of Congress from Tennessee -- both senators and three local congressmen -- but with a pared-down White House staff to keep his usually large footprint as small as possible.

Bush met at a local fire department with a range of officials, including Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat; the head of the state National Guard; and Lafayette, Tenn., Mayor Bill Wells. They heard a briefing from a coordinating officer from the regional FEMA office, Gracia Szczech, about the federal resources that have been committed to the area.

After meeting with local officials, including Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and Lafayette, Tenn., Mayor Bill Wells, Bush went to a neighborhood to get an on-the-ground look at the tornadoes' impact.

In all, he spent more than two hours in the disaster zone. But it was notable that he sped to the region, arriving for a firsthand view less than three days after the tornadoes roared through on their destructive path.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the government has learned many lessons since Katrina, and is much better now at not only answering locals' needs in times of emergency, but anticipating them. FEMA assets were in the tornado-struck region as early as Tuesday night, he said.

"States and localities have also given a lot of thought to the issue over the years and have improved their response as well," he said.

In the aftermath of stunningly deadly and destructive tornadoes, this hard-hit community now has other worries -- looters, power shortages and a large number of residents still unaccounted for.

"They're going to have the looters and then the metal scrappers giving them hell," said Jason Newsse, who came from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to help authorities with search and recovery efforts that included cadaver-detecting dogs.

"That's what I'm worried about," said Sonja Stovall, who sought assurances Thursday that police would patrol her ravaged neighborhood until she returned to salvage what she could from her heavily damaged home.

Macon County was under a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Sheriff's Detective Jeff Brewer said authorities received many calls about looters, though he didn't have details. Access to the worst-damaged areas was tightly controlled by police during the day, with residents required to show identification at checkpoints before going to their homes.

State officials also warned Tennesseans to be alert for potential price gougers in the aftermath of deadly tornadoes.

Officials said Thursday that some individuals might take advantage of the disaster by unscrupulously raising the prices they charge for goods and services.

Penalties are up to $1,000 per violation.

"We are prepared to enforce the law against anyone who unreasonably raises prices to take advantage of consumers," said Attorney General Bob Cooper.

The Nashville Area Red Cross said they have opened a shelter in Gallatin, Tenn., for anyone affected by the storms. The shelter is currently housing 33 affected persons.

The National American Red Cross has declared the Tennessee Tornado Disaster a Level 4, which means the Red Cross is predicting to distribute $250,000 to $2.5 Million on this disaster.