A line of severe storms swept across the Southeast on Thursday, damaging homes and businesses in at least four states. One person was killed by a tornado in North Carolina, authorities said.

An apparent tornado in Tupelo, Miss., damaged a shopping mall and downed power lines on Thursday morning.

It was Asia's answer to Hurricane Katrina. Packing winds upwards of 120 mph, Cyclone Nargis became one of Asia's deadliest storms by hitting land at one of the lowest points in Myanmar and setting off a storm surge that reached 25 miles inland.

Myanmar's junta on Friday seized two planeloads of critical aid sent by the U.N. for hungry survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help.