NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- President Bush on Friday tried to lift the spirits of people in rural Macon County, which suffered the heaviest death toll from dozens of tornadoes that tore across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

Related:IMAGES: President Bush Visits Tornado Ravaged Tennessee | Watch The Story

Even before Bush landed, he declared major disasters in Tennessee and Arkansas, a move that opens the spigot of federal funding to cover some costs, shared with local governments, for debris removal and protective measures and to help individuals. Sensitive to criticism it was ignoring other states hit by the storms, the White House said these were the only two states that had so far asked for help.

A barrage of tornadoes swept through those five Southern states on Tuesday, and the death count is nearly 60 so far, even as search operations continue to find survivors as well as victims. Macon County, a poor tobacco-farming area near the Kentucky border, took the heaviest toll. A 14th death in the county was reported Thursday.

Bush began his visit to the disaster zone the way he usually does: by getting a look at the damage from his helicopter, in this case on his way in from Nashville. He was traveling with members of Congress from Tennessee -- both senators and three local congressmen -- but with a pared-down White House staff to keep his usually large footprint as small as possible.

"There's no doubt in my mind this community will come back better than before," Bush said in the poor tobacco-farming area near the Kentucky border. "Macon County people are down-to-earth, hardworking, God-fearing people. They're just getting a little help and will come back stronger."

Bush met at a local fire department with a range of officials, including Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat; the head of the state National Guard; and Lafayette Mayor Bill Wells. They heard a briefing from a coordinating officer from the regional FEMA office, Gracia Szczech, about the federal resources that have been committed to the area.

Afterward, Bush was going to a neighborhood to get an on-the-ground look at the tornadoes' impact.

In all, he was spending about 2 1/2 hours in the disaster zone. But it was notable that he sped to the region, arriving for a firsthand view less than three days after the tornadoes roared through on their destructive path.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the government has learned many lessons since Katrina, and is much better now at not only answering locals' needs in times of emergency, but anticipating them. FEMA assets were in the tornado-struck region as early as Tuesday night, he said.

"States and localities have also given a lot of thought to the issue over the years and have improved their response as well," he said.

The National Weather Service said a single tornado that stayed on the ground for roughly 40 miles caused 24 of the storm deaths in Tennessee.

The tornado brought winds of 125 mph to 150 mph, making it a strength EF2 or EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado severity, National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Vannozzi said.

The twister touched down near Gallatin in Sumner County, moved quickly across a small part of Trousdale County and continued through Macon County, then into Kentucky.

In the aftermath of stunningly deadly and destructive tornadoes, this hard-hit community now has other worries -- looters, power shortages and a large number of residents still unaccounted for.

"They're going to have the looters and then the metal scrappers giving them hell," said Jason Newsse, who came from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to help authorities with search and recovery efforts that included cadaver-detecting dogs.

"That's what I'm worried about," said Sonja Stovall, who sought assurances Thursday that police would patrol her ravaged neighborhood until she returned to salvage what she could from her heavily damaged home.

Macon County was under a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Sheriff's Detective Jeff Brewer said authorities received many calls about looters, though he didn't have details. Access to the worst-damaged areas was tightly controlled by police during the day, with residents required to show identification at checkpoints before going to their homes.

Residents across Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas are still reeling after the nation's deadliest twister rampage in two decades killed 59 people.

As of Thursday evening, at least 33 people were dead in Tennessee.

Authorities here said they need all the help they can get.

"I think when you look at the area, it's pretty obvious," Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville said.

The rural county along the Kentucky border took the heaviest toll. A 14th death was reported Thursday, and the whereabouts of 230 county residents remained unknown, said Melissa McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. It was believed the missing were most likely staying with relatives or in hotels outside the county, but authorities found three people Wednesday night in a basement where they had been trapped.

Searchers went door to door Thursday, marking homes with taped X's afterward.

Utility workers, including crews coming from other areas, worked to restore power across the county, which Lafayette Mayor Bill Wells called "priority No. 1," especially in chilly morning temperatures below 40 degrees.

"You can't heat a home. You can't cook," Wells said. "You can't do anything without power."

The town's McDonald's reopened, quickly creating jammed counters and a drive-thru backup spilling into the road. Other fast-food restaurants also opened.

People streamed in from out of town with offers to help with whatever needed to be done.

"I really appreciate it," said Jerry Anderson, referring to a dozen people helping retrieve belongings and pile up debris from a home where the only thing still standing was the bathroom where Anderson, his wife and their four children survived the tornado. "I don't know none of these people. They're just good people."

State officials are warning Tennesseans to be alert for potential price gougers in the aftermath of deadly tornadoes.

Officials said Thursday that some individuals might take advantage of the disaster by unscrupulously raising the prices they charge for goods and services.

Penalties are up to $1,000 per violation.

"We are prepared to enforce the law against anyone who unreasonably raises prices to take advantage of consumers," said Attorney General Bob Cooper.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the state pursued enforcement action against businesses in Chattanooga and Memphis for price gouging.

Complicating matters Thursday was a multiple-vehicle crash right outside Lafayette involving two tractor trailers and other vehicles.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the triple-fatality crash.

Mike Browning, spokesman for the THP, said a tractor trailer rig slammed into the back of a van around 3 p.m. Thursday on Highway 52 west of Lafayette. Identities were not immediately available.

The van was crumpled between the rig behind it and anxother in front of it.

Traffic was backed up at the time because vehicles were being rerouted around tornado damage.

Browning said there was no word yet about whether any one else was hurt.

The National Weather Service issued more than 1,000 tornado warnings from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday in an 11-state area.

There are no comprehensive estimates yet on damages, but the tornadoes' paths left behind flattened streets and tree lines, shredded mobile homes, flipped-over tractor-trailers and trucks, and left only concrete floors where homes, garages and carports once stood.

Gov. Phil Bredesen took a helicopter tour of Macon, Sumner and Trousdale counties to survey the damage on Wednesday. He said the death toll could have been much higher if the storms had hit more densely populated areas.

In the mostly rural area of Lafayette in Macon County, there are no tornado sirens. Shelvy Linville, the county mayor, said he didn't think they would have made much difference because of the way the 23,000 residents are spread out.

"You don't really think it's going to hit you until you realize it's on top of you, then it's too late," he said.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that 14 deaths were reported in Macon County, along the Kentucky border about 50 miles northeast of Nashville, said Randy Harris, a spokesman for the Tennessee National Guard and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

The county is near where a spectacular explosion at a natural gas pumping station shot flames 400 feet in the air Tuesday night and cast an eerie glow for miles. No one was working at the plant at the time and there were no fatalities or injuries connected to the explosion, said Brent Archer, a spokesman for Houston-based NiSource Gas Transmission.

The suspected tornado "cut Macon County in two," said Keith Scruggs, the county's emergency director.

"I've been working 34 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said. "Roads are blocked. It's massive. We can't tell the extent of the damage yet. They have search teams going out now to check subdivision developments, housing and more rural areas."

The Nashville Area Red Cross said they have opened a shelter for anyone affected by the storms. The shelter is the Hartsville Pike Church of Christ, located at 744 Hartsville Pike in Gallatin, Tenn. The shelter is currently housing 33 affected persons.

The National American Red Cross has declared the Tennessee Tornado Disaster a Level 4, which means the Red Cross is predicting to distribute $250,000 to $2.5 Million on this disaster.

"I did have a call this morning from the president who wanted me to convey to everyone his sympathy for the situation we were in and his willingness to do everything in his power to help us get through this,” said Gov. Phil Bredesen in a news conference.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported looting in Macon County, said TEMA spokeswoman Julie Oaks. "Obviously that's not something that needs to be going on," she said. "If people are caught looting, they will go to jail."

Residents across the county began sifting through debris and searching for neighbors and family, despite having no power Tuesday night. As the sun rose Wednesday morning, destroyed roads strewn with debris, downed trees and power lines and destroyed homes could be seen clearly.

In the Antioch community of Lafayette, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church was destroyed. Dixie Ellis, a church member and nearby resident, was killed.

"She lived next door. Her house blew away. It blew her from her home way out into a field," said church pastor Rev. Dean Sircy.

Another resident described taking cover with her family one minute then being flung through the air the next before landing in a neighbor’s yard.

“I really closed my eyes as tight as I could, and I really just prayed to God that, you know, He would just keep us safe and hang on to us. It was scary. It was very scary. … They say it literally sounds like a freight train coming and it did. It was really quiet, the two seconds later, our house was gone, ” Ferena Farrington said.

Farrington suffered a broken back in the fall and was being treated at Vanderbilt Hospital. Her husband suffered a broken pelvis and was being treated at a Bowling Green, Ky. hospital. The couple’s baby was OK.

About 200 yards from the edge of the gas plant, Bonnie and Frank Brawner picked through the rubble of their home for photographs and other personal items. The storm completely sheared off the second story of the home and the remaining ceiling over the first floor was partially caved in.

"We had a beautiful neighborhood, now it's hell," said Bonnie Brawner, 80.

The storm had already passed when they noticed the flickering of flames through a crack in their front door. When they looked outside, they could see the flames shooting up from plant, which uses large turbines to distribute gas through pipelines.

Neighbor Linnie Gillihan, 70, said she could feel the heat from the fire while standing outside her damaged home.

Video: Gas Explosion Causes Spectacular Glow

"Tornadoes don't last that long. Then I saw this incredible blaze, and I said 'Goodness, the gas caught on fire,"' she said.

Ray Story said his 70-year-old brother, Bill Clark, died after the storms leveled his nearby mobile home in Macon County.

Clark died in the back of a pickup truck as Story and his wife tried rushing him to the hospital, Story said.

"He never had a chance," Nova Story said. "I looked him right in the eye and he died right there in front of me."

"He knew he was going to die when we put him in the pickup truck," Ray said.

Susan Hesson was sobbing as she sat next to a parked police car on a highway east of Castalian Springs. Her 86-year-old stepfather, Clarence Scott, died in the storm and her 84-year-old mother, Christine, was missing, she said.

"I'm just in shock," she told The Tennessean. She was unable to talk further.

Near the explosion sight in Castalian Springs, an 11-month-old baby was found alive in a muddy field.

The filed was littered with living room couches, strollers and children's toys after the storms, so when two rescuers came upon a baby, they thought he was a doll. Then he moved.

"We grabbed hold of his neck (to take a pulse) and he took a breath of air and started crying," said David Harmon, a firefighter from a nearby county who was combing the field for tornado victims.

The boy was found at least 100 yards away from where his family's house had been, possibly lifted by the storm's fierce winds, according to witnesses at the scene on Thursday. There was no trace of exactly where the house stood. The baby's mother, 24-year-old Kerri Stowell, was one of six people killed in the small community, said Sumner County Sheriff Bob Barker.

“We thought it was just a baby doll and went to step over it and told Mr. Weidener, ‘Hey, we’ve got a baby doll here.’ And as soon as I went to step over it, I saw him move his bottom. All the kid had on was a T-shirt and a diaper, the diaper was hanging half off of him, and he moved his bottom a little bit, and I noticed it, and I told Mr. Weidner, ‘It’s not a baby doll, it’s an actual baby.’ And that’s when he came over and we knelt down beside the baby. The baby moved its head just a little bit, and we rolled him over and started checking him out,” said Harmon.

The infant was a sign of hope to resuers. The 11-month old boy, named Kyson, was surrounded by flattened homes, bricks from a blown-apart post office and snapped trees, a devastating scene similar to so many communities across the South.

State emergency officials said at least 150 people were injured in the storms that struck first in Memphis on Tuesday afternoon and swept northeast along Interstate 40 to Nashville.

Bredesen said he is compiling damage assessments from around the state for an anticipated request for request for federal disaster relief.

"To those who have lost loved ones or suffered injury, I want to say that the thoughts and prayers of our state are with you," said Bredesen said in a release.

Barker confirmed Wednesday morning that seven people have died in the county. He said emergency officials are still searching for more possible fatalities.

“I’m sure I have not seen since I have been governor a tornado where the combination of the intensity of it and the length of the track was as large as this one. ... All I can say is -- Lord, I regret the loss of 12 lives and the injuries up there -- if that had been a more populous area of the state, I don’t know what would have happened. That was a very severe tornado,” Bredesen said in a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Channel 4's Dennis Ferrier reported 36 homes were destroyed in the town of Fairview in Williamson County.

VIdeo: Over 30 Homes Destroyed In Williamson County

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Melissa McDonald said the agency has confirmed two deaths at a Memphis warehouse.

Two people died in a home near Jackson. Three people were killed when a roof collapsed at the DSC Logistics warehouse in Memphis.

A man was killed in his car in Fayette County and two others died in Hardin County east of Memphis during the wave of storms that began Tuesday.

In Jackson, Union University was hard hit and at least eight people were trapped in a damaged dorm until rescuers could dig them out.

“We are a very strong and resilient state and the stories that I have been hearing today all across the state – the way in which the communities in Madison County responded so quickly to what happened in Union University and the churches nearby who took the students in and did that make you feel very, very proud of our state and its people,” Bredesen said.

Tim Ellsworth, the school's news director, said about 50 students went to the hospital and nine had injuries that were classified as serious.

A string of tornadoes ravaged several western and middle Tennessee counties in April 2006, killing 36 people.

Breakdown Of Victims By County

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed at least 32 people were killed and at least 149 people were injured during a series of severe storms that demolished buildings, flipped vehicles and heavily damaged a university dormitory on Tuesday night.

A list of Tennessee storm victims who have been identified by authorities:

Madison County
Alta M. Baker, 84, of Huntersville.
William M. Deberry, 75, of Huntersville.

Hardin County
Gerald Alexander, age not yet available, Hardin County.
Walter Ables, age not yet available, Hardin County.
Henry D. Hunsinger, age not yet available, Hardin County.

Fayette County
Neal Glover, 70, of Somerville.

Macon County
Carol I. Boyd, 42, of Lafayette.
Dixie M. Ellis, 80, of Lafayette.
Mark E. Brown, 19, of Lafayette.
Stanley Francis, 54, of Lafayette.
Jimmy C. Shaw, 54, of Lafayette.
William T. Manier, 90, of Lafayette.

Sumner County
Ramona A. Justice, 52, of Bethpage.
Kerri Stowell, 23, of Castalian Springs.
Ronald Currey, 49, of Castalian Srpings.
Mable Pryor, 72, of Castalian Springs.
Roger L. Perry, 57, of Castalian Springs.
Dallas Warner, 33, of Castalian Springs.
Lawrence Lampkin, 63, of Castalian Springs.

Trousdale County
Clarence Scott
Christine Scott
Bill Clark, Hartsville
(ages not immediately known)

TEMA: Storms Destroy 525 Homes In Tenn.

Benton County
9 homes destroyed, 3 severely damaged.

Fayette County
2 homes destroyed.

Fentress County
1 home destroyed.

Gibson County
1 home destroyed.

Hardin County
70 homes destroyed, 14 severely damaged.

Haywood County
3 homes destroyed, 1 severely damaged.

Henry County
2 homes destroyed.

Hickman County
7 homes destroyed, 38 severely damaged.

Houston County
2 homes destroyed, 30 severely damaged.

Lewis County
1 home destroyed, 6 severely damaged.

Macon County
170 homes destroyed, 9 severely damaged.

Madison County
129 homes destroyed, 36 severely damaged.

McNairy County
2 homes destroyed, 1 severely damaged.

Montgomery County
1 home destroyed, 7 severely damaged.

Perry County
5 homes destroyed.

Shelby County
21 homes severely damaged.

Sumner County
85 homes destroyed.

Tipton County
3 homes destroyed, 2 severely damaged.

Trousdale County
10 homes destroyed, 23 severely damaged.

Wayne County
3 homes damaged.

Weakley County
1 home destroyed.

Williamson County
21 homes destroyed, 2 severely damaged.

STATE TOTAL
525 homes destroyed, 229 homes severely damaged.

------ Sources: Tennessee Emergency Management Agency