Bush Tours Tornado-Damaged Areas in South

ENTERPRISE, Ala., March 3 -- President Bush handed out hugs Saturday to people in the South who survived killer tornadoes, and he mourned those who died in the storms, including eight high school students.

"Out of this rubble will emerge a better tomorrow," Bush said.

Bush climbed over piles of concrete, roofing, insulation, broken glass and textbooks at shattered Enterprise High School. Be strong and set an example for the other 1,200 students, he told the student government president and three others.

The president walked alone down a hallway lined by blue lockers, the corridor where the eight students succumbed and scores more were trapped in Thursday's storm. He also saw the school wing, now just rubble, where students had hunkered down -- and survived -- as the tornado approached.

"Today I have walked through devastation that is hard to describe," he said, standing with students, one of whom had a tear running down her face. "A hundred kids got out of here alive, which is a miracle."

During the visit, Bush designated Coffee County as a disaster area, releasing federal dollars for recovery and individual assistance. His disaster relief chief came along for a firsthand look at the damage so he could make quick recommendations to the White House on requests for help from Washington.

The trip, quickly put together Friday, was intended to highlight the Bush administration's stepped-up efforts, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency in particular, to help disaster victims. The White House came under withering criticism for its sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In southeastern Alabama, a tornado injured 50 people and damaged or destroyed about 370 homes among the 22,000 residents.

Bush also toured Americus, Ga., about 120 miles south of Atlanta, where storms killed two people and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses.

Before visiting the Alabama school, he got a bird's-eye view of the scene as his Marine One helicopter followed the storm's extensive path. The town's white water tower -- with the words "Enterprise, City of Progress" -- still stood. But nearby, the high school looked like a wrecking ball had struck it.

R. David Paulison, the head of FEMA, said he was on the telephone with state emergency officials hours after the storms hit. Agency teams have nearly completed preliminary damage assessments in Alabama and planned to begin similar work in Georgia on Saturday.

He said FEMA moved in truckloads of water, ice, tarps, plastic sheeting and communications equipment to help states take care of residents -- a response he called "the new FEMA."