Tornadoes, rainstorms and floods cut a path of destruction through the U.S. last week. At least 55 people died as a result of bad weather in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.
On Tuesday, President Bill Clinton visited his home state of Arkansas, which was hit hard by tornadoes. "Nothing has quite affected me the way this has today," he said, after viewing the wreckage of Arkadelphia. The town's business district is littered with bricks and timber where rows of buildings once stood.
As the Ohio River rose to its highest level in 30 years, thousands of people evacuated their homes. "I think every toy of ours is floating in the water," said six-year-old Jessyca Colonel of New Richmond, Ohio.
City officials in Louisville, Kentucky, held back the raging waters by sliding shut the giant concrete doors in the city's floodwalls. The walls protected Kentucky's largest city, but low-lying surrounding areas were swamped.
On Friday, forecasters were predicting more rain for the area, but the worst appeared to be over--except for those who returned to shattered homes and lives. "It's garbage," said Karen Oliver of Falmouth, Kentucky, gazing at the ruins of her home. "It's history."