Severe weather turned deadly and caused devastating damage across the Deep South on Thursday. A series of tornadoes hatched by early spring “super cell” storms tore across Alabama and moved into Georgia, causing five deaths and leaving wrecked homes, splintered trees, crumpled businesses.There were more than a dozen tornado reports across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi on Thursday. Chainsaws buzzed through fallen trees, stunned residents dug in the rubble that had been their homes, and neighbors rushed in to help on Friday.The National Weather Service office in Birmingham, Alabama, initially issued a "tornado emergency" for areas just south and east of the city, in Shelby and Jefferson counties, indicating there is a tornado that could have a potentially significant impact to human life and catastrophic destruction to property.The coroner in Calhoun County, Alabama, confirmed the deaths of five people who were killed in a tornado Thursday afternoon.According to Coroner Pat Brown, four of the victims lived in Ohatchee and included a family of three who were in a wooden home and a man who was in a mobile home. A fifth person was killed in a mobile home in Wellington. Brown identified them Friday as Joe Wayne Harris, 74; Barbara Harris, 69; Ebonique Harris, 28; Emily Myra Wilborn, 72; and James William Geno, 72, Al.com reported.In Pelham, Cesar Villaseñor, 22, was in a van with his boss when they were caught in a potential tornado. They were trying to get to shelter at his boss' house, Villaseñor said."We were literally half a mile from his house and everything was all clear. Out of nowhere, it starts raining and I started recording — everything starts going to hell basically," he said. "I was like, this is probably it. I'm probably dead. At one point, the van was shaking really bad to the point that I thought it was like to flip over. I was just shaking. I couldn't control my hands."Between 30 and 50 homes or structures were damaged in Pelham, Alabama, according to a tweet from the local police department.Alex McNair, owner of Corefit Strong in Pelham told CNN his gym was practically destroyed by a tornado."The roof was lifted off, bricks were thrown through the windows of our garage doors, debris tossed inside the gym, our HVAC unit was ripped off our roof, glass thrown throughout the gym, our flooring is destroyed, along with other roof and structural damage to other parts of the building," McNair wrote to CNN. But, he said what was most important is that no one is hurt. Police in Helena also reported major damage. All phone lines to the police department were down, the department said on Twitter, urging residents to call 911 if they needed assistance.A tornado had ripped a house completely off its foundation and deposited it 100 feet from where it was originally located in Shelby, Alabama.Residents were rummaging through the debris with flashlights in the dark in hopes of salvaging some of their possessions. Broken furniture and a red tractor all lay piled in a heap.This was also an animal rescue center housing over 50 horses and several dozen goats and sheep. With the fences gone the animals were wandering around in a disoriented way. There is now a massive effort to save these animals.All the trees around the home have been obliterated. And the two elderly people that lived there were with unknown injuries to a local veterans hospital, officials said.The Shelby County Sheriff's Office shared the following update after Thursday's tornado strike: Further north, in Florence, about 130 miles north of Birmingham, a police officer was transported to a local hospital after he was struck by lightning, the police department said on Twitter. Officers were able to provide first aid at the scene, and the officer was conscious and responsive.At one point, more than 26,000 Alabama customers were without power, according to poweroutages.us.The Associated Press contributed.
Severe weather turned deadly and caused devastating damage across the Deep South on Thursday.
A series of tornadoes hatched by early spring “super cell” storms tore across Alabama and moved into Georgia, causing five deaths and leaving wrecked homes, splintered trees, crumpled businesses.
There were more than a dozen tornado reports across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi on Thursday.
Chainsaws buzzed through fallen trees, stunned residents dug in the rubble that had been their homes, and neighbors rushed in to help on Friday.
The National Weather Service office in Birmingham, Alabama, initially issued a "tornado emergency" for areas just south and east of the city, in Shelby and Jefferson counties, indicating there is a tornado that could have a potentially significant impact to human life and catastrophic destruction to property.
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The coroner in Calhoun County, Alabama, confirmed the deaths of five people who were killed in a tornado Thursday afternoon.
According to Coroner Pat Brown, four of the victims lived in Ohatchee and included a family of three who were in a wooden home and a man who was in a mobile home. A fifth person was killed in a mobile home in Wellington.
Brown identified them Friday as Joe Wayne Harris, 74; Barbara Harris, 69; Ebonique Harris, 28; Emily Myra Wilborn, 72; and James William Geno, 72, Al.com reported.
In Pelham, Cesar Villaseñor, 22, was in a van with his boss when they were caught in a potential tornado. They were trying to get to shelter at his boss' house, Villaseñor said.
"We were literally half a mile from his house and everything was all clear. Out of nowhere, it starts raining and I started recording — everything starts going to hell basically," he said. "I was like, this is probably it. I'm probably dead. At one point, the van was shaking really bad to the point that I thought it was like to flip over. I was just shaking. I couldn't control my hands."
Between 30 and 50 homes or structures were damaged in Pelham, Alabama, according to a tweet from the local police department.
Alex McNair, owner of Corefit Strong in Pelham told CNN his gym was practically destroyed by a tornado.
"The roof was lifted off, bricks were thrown through the windows of our garage doors, debris tossed inside the gym, our HVAC unit was ripped off our roof, glass thrown throughout the gym, our flooring is destroyed, along with other roof and structural damage to other parts of the building," McNair wrote to CNN. But, he said what was most important is that no one is hurt.
Police in Helena also reported major damage. All phone lines to the police department were down, the department said on Twitter, urging residents to call 911 if they needed assistance.
A tornado had ripped a house completely off its foundation and deposited it 100 feet from where it was originally located in Shelby, Alabama.
Residents were rummaging through the debris with flashlights in the dark in hopes of salvaging some of their possessions. Broken furniture and a red tractor all lay piled in a heap.
This was also an animal rescue center housing over 50 horses and several dozen goats and sheep. With the fences gone the animals were wandering around in a disoriented way. There is now a massive effort to save these animals.
All the trees around the home have been obliterated. And the two elderly people that lived there were with unknown injuries to a local veterans hospital, officials said.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office shared the following update after Thursday's tornado strike:
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Further north, in Florence, about 130 miles north of Birmingham, a police officer was transported to a local hospital after he was struck by lightning, the police department said on Twitter. Officers were able to provide first aid at the scene, and the officer was conscious and responsive.
At one point, more than 26,000 Alabama customers were without power, according to poweroutages.us.
The Associated Press contributed.
