The grim death toll from the 24-hour storm period continued to rise, with 288 counted in six states. Among them were two university students in Alabama. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity.

The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 198 people perished, according to state and local officials.

Gov. Robert Bentley and other officials stood in the bright sunshine in Tuscaloosa, the epicenter of the state's misery, to detail the damage and recovery effort.

"People's lives have just been turned upside down," Bentley said. "It affects me emotionally. When I fly over this, it is difficult."

The South endured the second deadliest tornado outbreak in the nation's history since 1950. Weather experts said humidity, cooler temperatures and vertical wind shear made for a deadly concoction.

A breakdown provided by Bentley's office showed that violent weather claimed lives in 18 Alabama counties. Thirty-six people perished in DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama, and 14 died in Jefferson County, home to Birmingham.