40年一遇龙卷风席卷美国数州

 　　US in shock as worst storms for 40 years kill almost 300

　　Shocked Americans are struggling to grasp the magnitude of the worst US tornadoes² in almost 40 years, which carved a trail of destruction across the south, claiming at least 295 lives.

　　The storms were the deadliest since 310 people were killed in 1974 when 148 tornadoes hit several states and authorities have warned that the death toll³ could rise further.

　　Entire US towns were destroyed, as six states were struck by huge twisters. One that was captured on extraordinary video footage measured a mile wide – 20 times larger than the typical tornado¹.

　　States of emergency were declared by the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and governors called out the National Guard - including 2,000 troops in Alabama - to help with the rescue and clean-up operations.

　　Alabama, one of America's poorest states, was worst hit. More than 131 people there died, 36 in the city of Tuscaloosa alone. Walter Maddox, its mayor, said the city had been "obliterated⁴".

　　"I don't know how anyone survived," said Mr Maddox. "It's an amazing scene.

　　"There are parts of the city I don't recognise and I've lived here my entire life."

　　James Sykes, a survivor⁵, described watching a "silent monster" suck up the city's streets. "It was full of lightning, devastating⁶ everything," Mr Sykes said. Dozens of businesses and emergency service buildings across the city were wiped out.

　　"We had a major catastrophic event here in Alabama," said Robert Bentley, the state's governor. "We have major destruction in the state." A million people were left without power.

　　Storms caused the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Huntsville, Alabama, to lose power. Officials described the incident as a low-level emergency and said it was under control.

　　The National Weather Service said it had received 137 tornado reports on Wednesday, bringing to 300 the total number counted in the region since Friday.

　　In Mississippi, at least 32 people were killed. Another 30 were reported dead in Tennessee, 11 in Arkansas, 13 in Georgia, seven in Virginia, and three in Missouri.

　　President Barack Obama, who promised swift assistance, said: "Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected⁷ by this devastation⁸". He will travel to Alabama to view the damage on Friday.

　　Mr Obama also paid tribute to the "heroic efforts" of those who were responding to the disaster by clearing up disaster-struck areas and searching for victims.

　　People throughout the south were left trapped in their homes, colleges and vehicles after fallen trees and flooding left large areas impossible to pass.

　　The storms appeared to have been the deadliest natural disaster in the US since Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people in Louisiana in 2005.

　　Further heavy rain and high winds are expected on Saturday, with 21 states throughout the country warned that they could face severe weather.

1 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 obliterated   

v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭

参考例句：

• The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。
• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》