A string of powerful storms from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast flattened neighborhoods and tore through buildings, killing at least 34 people since Wednesday.
Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio were under a state of emergency late Friday as the threat of tornadoes continued.
With the wreckage of their lives already strewn around them, survivors who have already lost so much, brace for more.
"My parents have known each other since they were 12 years old and my mother passed away here, over there," Sheila Skaggs, a storm survivor, said as she struggled to hold back her tears.
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"I knelt on my knees. I just asked God to see me through," an emotional Amanda Patrick said.
"My daughter called me screaming and said the house was gone," another survivor told a reporter.
It is estimated that 33 tornadoes touched down in seven states. The devastation stretches across 750 miles.
President Barack Obama spoke with the governors of six of the storm-struck states to offer condolences and help.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn declared his state a disaster area and has asked for federal help to assess damage.
The city of Harrisburg, Ill., located 57 miles southeast of Evansville, Ind. was the hardest hit by the deadly storm system.
Jody Herrington-Gettys. U.S. director of disater relief for CBN's Operation Blessing International, told CBN News the extent of the destruction in Harrisburg is unbelievable.
"It's very sad to see people rummaging through their belongings to try and re-capture some memories and take back what's left of their homes," she explained.
"So while we're focused on hope, I will say that it's sad to see the people just basically with their lives in ruin," she said.
Operation Blessing work crews will help with cleanup in the city. Herrington-Gettys said the greatest need right now is for volunteers.
This recent string of violent storms brings the number of tornadoes so far this year to 115, about 50 percent more than normal.
--Published Mar. 2, 2012.