now, tushka is about a town of 500 people. and when the sun comes up, officials are wondering and worrying if in fact that number will be lower. back to you, chris. >> that was kwtv's jacqueline sit in tushka, oklahoma, this morning. now here's erica. >>> we want to turn to the latest on a budget balgt which is set for a showdown on capitol hill today. both president obama and the republicans vowing a tough fight. yesterday mr. obama was caught on an open mike taking a tough stance against the gop. bill plante will get to that in a moment but first we want to go to congressional correspondent nancy cordes with a look at what is at stake today. nancy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, erica. this morning the house will be debating and then voting on a budget put forward by republicans that envisions cutting $4 trillion from the debt. they do that primarily by slashing domestic spending, by capping medicaid and in a plan that's gotten the most attention, by turning medicare from a government insurance program into

tushka's only elementary and high schools, destroyed. the school year is effectively over. >> it's horrible. it's gone, bye-bye school. >> reporter: the school superintendent vows to rebuild. >> it's been here a long time. it's the heart of the community. >> reporter: they have to do that rebuilding from scratch. take a look at this. even though every wall has collapsed, all the papers and textbooks look they have been untouched. not everything is destroyed. but clearly, there is a lot of work to be done. david? >> unpredictable. thanks so much. >>> in little rock, arkansas, authorities say a mother was huddled with her young son in his bedroom when the twister hit. they did not survive. jason peterson is there. i spoke to him moments ago. jason, thanks so much for joining us. what can you tell us about the mother and two children in the home behind you? >> reporter: she was a 34-year-old single mother of two who was likely called to the corner bedroom by her scared son. strong thunderstorms were rolling through. moments later, the tree

the tushka public school complex. seven buildings, including the elementary, middle and high schools, were flattened. >> multiple tornadoes! look! >> reporter: when as many as three twisters ripped through this town of about 400 at dinner time, buildings and homes along an estimated seven-mile path were left in sleds. at least two people are dead. >> the house was over there, now it's right here just unreal. i've never seen anything like this before. >> reporter: today homeowners picked up through the wreckage looking for anything to salvage. under a pile of debris, the eldridge family sighted a miracle, their pet dog-- aptly named miracle-- was found. lots of people looking for miracles in oklahoma tonight. at least 10,000 still r still without power. >> i'm randall pinkston in clinton, mississippi. behind me an 18-wheeler tossed by the winds like a toy earlier today. the driver somehow survived. >> stay on it. stay on it. >> reporter: earlier, storm chases captured these dramatic images of a tornado touching down we

. >> reporter: as this massive funnel cloud raced across the plains of oklahoma, the tiny town of tushka and the lives of so many there suddenly spun out of control. >> it just looks like somebody came and stepped on it and it looks like somebody just grabbed it -- i don't even know. >> reporter: the violent storm system late yesterday sparked tornadoes, hail, high winds and driving rains pushing through the middle of the country and into the southeast. shattering buildings, tossing mobile homes and snapping trees. so far the weather has been blamed for several deaths across oklahoma and arkansas. at least two of the victims young children. and today as the storm continued to push to the east, the target was mississippi, and in clinton, a roof was ripped off this bank. cars were rolled on their sides. back in tushka, survivors are struggling to piece together what's happened and what comes next. >> pretty overwhelming. >> reporter: some of the most severe damage was at the high school. >> a total loss. i don't see how school will be in these buildings again. >> we don't know where we're

reporter: this terrified dog lays in the debris after a tornado slammed through the tiny town of tushka, oklahoma. the storm left this elementary school in complete ruins. it flattened homes and swept away walls and roofs. >> it felt like your ears and head was exploding. it was scary. my dad was holding onto the door and everything. >> the sky was just black. and then we just heard a loud roar just a constant roar. >> reporter: the storm uprooted trees and power lines and lifted homes right off their foundations. >> took the house. it actually moved the 2200-foot over. >> reporter: it moved to arkansas. a tree smashed through a mobile home in garland county killing a baby girl and her father. residents here say they get their share of stormy weather, but it doesn't make it any easier. >> you don't get used to this. me and my wife, we was holding on there for a while. >> reporter: a man died here in scott, arkansas, when a tree smashed through his rv. the winds then turned to the deep south, trying weather warnings from tennessee through louisiana. alexis christoforous, cbs news. >>> wo

this is tushka, oklahoma. this is a multi vortex tornado. you have the parent cone or super cell and what you wind up with are two violently rotating tornadoes, sometimes three or four, rotating around each other. this just makes a disaster wherever it happens. i don't think i've ever seen an outbreak of tornadoes where more multi vortex tornadoes have been actually captured on film. this is jackson, mississippi, on day two. of this outbreak. you can see a violently rotating tornado here. debris coming up inside. damage would be an understatement. the kind of tornado that you see rotating there probably has winds of 150 to 200 miles an hour. it could pick up a car. that's the kind of strength we have here with this tornado. it could easily pick up a car and throw it for 100 yards, 200 yards, who knows. >> not good, guys. >> reporter: power flashes going off. those are transformers blowing almost continuously. i think what surprises me the most is the number of automobiles still out there on the road. but as that storm worked its way, again,

. >> reporter: thursday tushka, oklahoma, not one but several twisters violently spin around each other. >> oh, my god. this is not good, guys. >> reporter: friday, clinton, mississippi, a tornado works across an overpass and blue power flashes light up the sky. >> there goes the roof off the house. >> reporter: saturday wilson, north carolina, a walgreens store is ripped to shreds. >> that's a walgreens right there just explodes. fiberglass, 2 x 4s, everything. >> reporter: it's the deadliest outbreak in the u.s. in three years. at least 44 deaths in six states. >> all the ingredients come together to create the perfect storm. in this case a big upper air disturbance in the jet steam. it came charging east-southeast, and it met up with moist air in the gulf of mexico. >> in gloucester, virginia, rashard barely escaped. >> it sounded like a train was coming to hit the house. >> wow. >> reporter: in raleigh, north carolina this car still has its lights on, and it's beeping. >> this person must have got out of the car fast. you can hear it. >> one of the things about the tornadoes is they

. >> reporter: in tushka, oklahoma, a multivortex tornado with at least two funnels tore through the town of 350, killing two. it left a path of destroyed homes right next to the others left untouched. the local school reduced to rubble. >> most of my classmates have been here since preschool, and it's -- they're never going to be here again as students. >> reporter: in alabama, it was the worst outbreak in five years. >> i felt the house tremble, felt a strong wind. i told everybody it's time to get downstairs. >> i saw the wind pick up this big oak tree, sort of just pick it up and tosses it on top of the power lines. >> reporter: today crews work to destroy power, but the destruction is so extensive national weather survey teams will have to assess the damage by flying from one end of the state to the other. >> i want to say probably 15 to 20 tornadoes that occurred throughout the state, and that's just preliminary. we might find a lot more after that. >> reporter: as this dangerous storm system makes its way north and east, the impacts are far from over. lester, an average april

the weather damaged or destroyed nearly every home along the two main streets in the town of tushka. in the elementary, middle and high schools, they are gone. >> it is just devastating. we pulled up last night, and we just -- you just -- you don't know what to think, you know. it is devastating. >> reporter: the system then pushed into arkansas. strong winds blew down this tree. killing a mother and her 8-year- old son as they slept. in all, seven people died in arkansas. >> oh, man. >> reporter: those hit by the twisters try to recover this weekend, residents of the carolinas prepared for the worst. the same system is heading north and brings heavy rain and hail and high winds and tornado warnings. michael herzenberg for cbs news. >>> spectacular to see the power of those tornadoes. >> it is amazing. we haven't even hit the peak of tornado season yet. that doesn't come until may. a very active year already. it looks like continuing tonight, we have more tornado warnings on the ground as we speak. the storm system makes its way toward the east coast right now. it is pummeling much o

in fact, more than two dozen people are hurt, injured as a large tornado tore through the town of tushka, oklahoma. it hit after dark, leaving a jumble of downed power lines and trees. also making a dangerous search for anymore victims. >> the same system dumped softball-sized hail on other towns. today, the dangerous system will stretch from the ohio valley to the gulf coast. we'll have a complete update coming up on "good morning america." >>> now, to the political storm brewing in washington. president obama and the republicans are now gearing up for what looks to be an epic budget battle. also, a brutal 2012 election. yesterday, the president went on record with his side of the story and then hit the campaign trial. emily schmidt joins us now with the details. good morning, emily. >> reporter: peggy and mike, good morning to you. president obama is finally getting the 2011 budget from congress. but in many ways, it already feels like 2012. we had obama talking about what he's done as president. and he is working to keep the job. >> hello, chicago. >> reporter: president obama warmed

two people were killed in this tiny town of tushka. its only school, wiped away. >> you just -- you just -- you don't know what to think. you know, it's devastating. >> reporter: from there, the storm barreled through arkansas. where it killed seven. tonight, its deadly march continues. this time, up the east coast. that church that was damaged in the town just a couple hundred yards from where i am here will have sunday service tomorrow. they will just do it, david in a high school auditorium. >> the prayers needed. ryan owens leading us off tonight. ryan, thanks so much. >>> we're going to turn now to a different danger in the skies. another case of an air traffic controller asleep on the job. caught just today. this time in miami. tonight, we've learned the government is taking action to keep controllers awake. lisa stark is back on the story tonight. she's live at reagan national. lisa? >> reporter: david, this, as you mentioned, this latest incident is in miami. it was at miami center, the controller falling asleep overnight. earl

a large tornado ripped through the little town of tushka, 120 miles southeast of oklahoma city last night. the twister killed at least two people and injured more than two dozen. one resident, who took shelter in a storm cellar says when the tornado passed it felt like a bomb had hit. elsewhere in oklahoma and kansas and louisiana police reported damaging hail up to the size of softballs. >>> georgia's legislature has passed an immigration bill similar to the controversial arizona law now being challenged in court. the georgia bill authorizes police to verify the immigration status of criminal suspects, and detain them if they're found to be in the country illegally. now, it's unclear if the governor plans to sign it into law. >>> meanwhile, the republican dominated arizona legislature has approved a bill in line with the so-called birther campaign against president obama. if signed into law, it would require mr. obama, and other presidential candidates, to prove they are u.s. citizens before their names can appear on the state's ballot. >>> the president's 2012 re-election campaign is of

the worst, here in tushka, snapping huge trees in half like they were pencils and flipping schoolbuses over like pancakes. the town's school complex was decimated, part of an estimated 7-mile path of destruction. the storm dumped parts of someone else's house in a front yard and left cars up in trees, like stranded cats. >> it's like a war zone. >> reporter: two elderly sisters were killed. this neighbor returned home to help them, but it was too late. >> they were laying beside each other. she was still alive at the time, but it took a long time for the ambulances to get out because of the road. took about 30 to 45 minutes to get out here. by that time, she done passed away. >> reporter: oklahoma's governor has declared a state of emergency and plans to visit here saturday. melissa newton for cbs news, tushka, oklahoma. >>> well, late last night, three members of the same family died when a tornado hit their home in alabama. the governors of oklahoma and alabama have declared states of emergency. >>> a prelude to a budget shutdown in washington. house republicans passed a bill to cut

eric fisher has the latest from tushka, oklahoma. are surveying the advantage. you can see the tree that fell here. the only thing in one piece, as it should be, is the storm cell cellar. that was the safe place to be as sirens went off across eastern oklahoma. we have video of some of the twisters woshing their way across the state. the most violent of all, we even had twin twisters at times in super cells. it was a classic spring storm event. the storms are working to the east. the sirens were in numerous places including tulsa, oklahoma. all of this in alabama, mississippi and louisiana. we'll track severe weather to the east coast. exiting finally to the ocean by the time we get to saturday afternoon. that's the latest from tushka. natalie, back to you. >> a busy spring, eric. thank you very much. >>> the official in charge of the nation's air traffic control system resigned under pressure on thursday. hank rakowski was stung by recent cases of controllers asleep on the job. meantime the f.a.a. has launched a top to bottom review

in oklahoma, much of the town of tushka is completely destroyed, including the town's only school. >> it's just horrible. it's all gone. it's just bye-bye school. >> it was big and it was black. >> reporter: leonard ray left his shelter after the storm to find his home in scattered pieces. and his fishing boat stuck high in a pine tree. >> yeah. 40 -- 40 years of work. never seen nothing like that. >> and taking a look at the radar. we already have storms bubbling up in georgia. you can see a good storm system rolling through macon. and we do have a severe weather threat. new tornado watches, from the florida panhandle all the way north to charlotte. our severe weather threat extends all the way up the atlantic, as far north as south jersey. and the national weather service has issued a moderate risk in the eastern carolinas. that means the possibility of a few long-track tornadoes. >> all right, jackie. we'll come back later for the weather report. >>> newly-released numbers confirm what most americans have already noticed. gas prices are rising faster than ever. the national average

one of the hardest hit towns was tushka in southeastern oklahoma, where two sisters in their 70s diedado strike there late thursday caused widespread damage, including the destruction of the town's school. witnesses reported seeing two twisters that merged to form a single storm. the operator of that crippled nuclear power plant in japan will soon compensate those forced to flee the area. tokyo electric power company announced today it plans to pay an initial $12,000 to each affected family. some 48,000 households will be eligible. the company also said it may resort to pay cuts and layoffs to help cover its costs. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to judy. >> woodruff: we return to the middle east, and the american response to the uprisings there. the administration has supported pro-democracy movements from libya and egypt to syria. but it has been more muted in other countries, especially bahrain. we get two views on u.s. policy from brian katulis, a senior fellow at the center for american progress. he was on the national security council staff during the clinto

two people were killed in oklahoma overnight, after a tornado touched down in the town of tushka.d. we'll have today's forecast in just a minute. >>> the supreme court meets behind closed doors today to discuss fast-tracking a review of president obama's health care law. virginia officials want the high court decide before lower courts weigh in on whether it's constitutional to require most americans to buy health insurance. >>> a florida wife who has been missing since friday has been found alive and well. she asks that her location remain secret, because she is afraid of her husband. >>> a former pro football star in the middle of an explosive murder trial took a turn. he had a case of real-life fatal attraction, that turned into a shocking verdict. >> a member of -- >> reporter: it's the crime that has all of chicagoland talking. >> reuter and her unborn child -- >> reporter: a beautiful, innocent victim, seven months pregnant, killed excuse-style. her boyfriend, shaun gail, is under suspicion. >> is she dead? >> after a distaught call, shaun is questioned by police. >> here, a

. >> reporter: for "today" eric fisher from tushka, oklahoma. >>> down to tuscaloosa, alabama which received a direct hit from one of the tornados. seven people are dead there. jim cantore joins us live from there. good morning. >> good morning, lester. you can see some of the damage here that's sprewn all across alabama. power pole snapped off. huge trees bent over. at the same time, trees behind that still left standing. the skipping nature of the tornadoes very, very apparent here in the tuscaloosa area today. from what we've seen which is the most amazing to me over the the last couple of days is the long track of these storms. let's take you back to clinton, mississippi, yesterday. you can see what happened there. this was a huge tornado. probably an ef-3. winds over 150 miles per hour here which moved through, but the same supercell or parent storm of thunderstorms that produced that tornado tracked all the way across mississippi and across alabama. 200 miles and produced the damage that we have here in tuscaloosa. the day before that, again, another wild-looking tornado. this is what

least two people are dead in southeastern oklahoma, arch a tornado ripped through the small town of tushkathunderstorms that moved through the area. officials are still assessing the damage but the main highway through the area's partially closed because vehicles and trees are scattered on the road. >>> and the weather will be better in colorado today. yesterday heavy snow fell in some areas. that certainly didn't stop residents from getting out for their morning bike rides and walks, but it did slow down that morning commute. not much of the snow stuck and today does start with sunny weather and also highs in the upper 50s. typical colorado weather. it snows, sunny and then it melts. >> it is that time the year i suppose. >> yes. >> and now to your friday forecast, talking about more severe storms, possibly moving through the midwest today. rain could even threaten those flood-prone areas for the upper plains. dry and warm in the southwest and southern california. rain and snow in the pacific northwest. and warm in the southeast and partly cloudy here in the northeast. >> and we're lookin

look at this video from tushka, oklahoma. a multi vortex tornado that's part of the main system. you can clearly see two violently rotating tornados in the video. now friday. the same jet stream, a strong one and deepening low pressure. more gulf moisture and again we move into jackson, mississippi. on friday, you can see the violently rotating tornado, debris coming up on each side. winds of 150 to 200 miles per hour. those are strong enough winds to pick up a car, throw it for 100, 200 yards. the power flashes are transfo transformers blowing out. you can see the number of cars on the road as the tornado works across an overpass. the drivers oblivious to what's going on around them. as we move into saturday where we saw the worst of the system, the energy shifting to the east coast, gulf and atlantic moisture continues up. wilson north carolina on saturday. this tornado video looks like it's going over a house. that's actually a walgreens exploding with fiberglass and 2 x 4s as the tornado moves over it. the bad news is tomorrow we'll be look at another outbreak, hopefully not