By ROBBIE BROWN and KIM SEVERSON
PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. — The death toll in five Southern states rose sharply Thursday morning to nearly 200 after devastating storms ripped through the region, spawning a deadly tornado in downtown Tuscaloosa, Ala., and leaving a trail of flattened homes and buildings in an area already battered by storms. States of emergency have been declared from Alabama to Virginia, and President Obama said in a statement that the federal government had pledged its assistance.
Read the full article in the New York Times