Tornado outbreak deadliest since '08

WASHINGTON -- The devastation is stunning -- homes and lives shattered as the deadliest swarm of twisters in three years battered up to 15 states.

Ultimately, this could turn out to be among the top 10 three-day outbreaks for number of tornadoes, though experts can't be sure until all the reports are sorted, said Greg Carbin of the federal Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

While tornadoes occur regularly, their power always shocks.

This time it was storms battering their way from Oklahoma to North Carolina, claiming at least 44 lives, almost half of those in North Carolina. It was the deadliest since Feb. 5, 2008, when 57 died in the "Super Tuesday" election day tornadoes in the Southeast. And that was the highest tornado death toll since 76 died in 1985.

"A major storm system like this is going to happen every few years, usually in April or May," said Carbin.

While May is the nation's busiest month for twisters, they surge sharply in April.