President Bush handed out hugs to people in Alabama and Georgia who survived killer tornadoes, and he mourned the 20, including eight high school students, who died.

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

He climbed over piles of concrete, insulation, broken glass and textbooks at the shattered high school in Enterprise, Ala. Be strong and set an example for the other 1,200 students, he told the student government president and three others.

Later, Bush toured Americus, Ga., where storms killed two and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses.

The trip was intended to highlight stepped-up efforts to help disaster victims.