The pleasant woman who delivered the mail, Pam Black, 46, perished in this week's storm, along with her family Wednesday night -- victims of the deadliest tornado outbreak in nearly 80 years.

Across the US south, at least 324 people were killed in storms that swept the region, spawning tornadoes that devastated small towns like Ringgold.

A tornado with winds of 175 miles per hour (282 kilometers per hour) touched down at 8:15 pm on the Cherokee Valley road, where the Blacks lived north of town.

Seven people were killed in short stretch of the road, including Black, her husband Chris, 46, their daughter Kelsea, 16, and their son Cody, 21, Catoosa County authorities said.

The three other victims were identified as Holly Readus, 26, Robert Jones, 47, and Jack Estep, 61.

An eighth person, Ray McClanahan, 86, a former superintendent of schools, was killed by the tornado in Ringgold, a town of about 2,500 people near the Georgia-Tennessee border.

"At this time we have no individuals unaccounted for," said Sheriff Phil Summers said. "We have no other names of people missing."

The tornado first touched down in Georgia then ripped through Ringgold and into Tennessee.

Some residents said they did not hear warning sirens of the tornado, but Summers said he heard the county siren go off at 8 p.m., 30 minutes before the tornado struck.

Denia Reese, the superintendent of Catoosa County schools, said Ringgold's high school and middle school were so damaged that their 1,800 students will have to attend other schools in the area.

Summers said authorities have had to deal with some looting. Police are demanding identification from people trying to get back into the city.

Residents are being warned about scam artists descending on Ringgold with promises to remove debris or cut up downed trees. Summers said there has already been a victim of a scam.

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