Tornadoes and storms in the south-eastern United States have killed over 200 people. Officials said in Alabama, the worst-hit state, 128 have died – including 15 killed by a tornado that devastated the city of Tuscaloosa. Deaths and widespread devastation are also reported in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia. The US National Weather Service has preliminary reports of nearly 300 tornadoes since the storm began on Friday, including more than 130 on Wednesday alone. A state of emergency has been declared in Alabama. President Barack Obama said he had spoken to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and approved his request for emergency assistance, including search and rescue teams. States of emergency were also declared in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma, following the latest storms and tornadoes. The current storm system is forecast to hit North and South Carolina before making its way further north-east. Storms have hit states across the southern US for weeks, and another major storm system is forecast to bring heavy rain in the coming days.