159 Dead Following Severe Storms, Record Tornado Outbreak

Severe weather that hit the South this week has now left at least 159 people in five states dead, according to CNN… (UPDATE: MSNBC is reporting at least 183 people dead).

128 people were killed in Alabama alone, but officials believe that number could increase. One of the hardest-hit areas was Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a tornado barreled through the city and killed at least 15 people.

About 1,400 National Guard soldiers are being deployed around the state.

The storm system also caused deaths in Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.

The following map shows confirmed tornadoes.

View Tornado Outbreak 4/27/2011 (Update) in a larger map