Alabama is rocked by ‘extremely dangerous’ TORNADO as locals report huge damage

An ‘extremely dangerous’ tornado is ripping through Alabama, with residents being told to take shelter immediately as 140pmh winds batter the state.  

National Weather Service officials say that they have received dozens of damage reports as the storm continues to move through the state.

They have issued a ‘tornado emergency’ warning for Autauga, Coose, Elmore, and Chilton counties, adding: This is a life-threatening situation and extremely dangerous! Seek shelter immediately if in the path of this storm!!!’

Forecasters said a large and destructive tornado was located near Vida Junction, or 12 miles northwest of Prattville, moving to the northeast at 55 mph and 140mph at the eye of the tornado. 

See also  Beaming Cheryl looks chic in a blue coat leaving London's Lyric Theatre

A tornado can be seen sweeping over Alabama as damage is being reported across the state 

Entire buildings have been destroyed by the storm in Mississippi , with the tornado expected to continue along its path of destruction for several hours 

Winds of up to 70mph are currently hitting Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee as the storm moves southeast, with thunderstorms developing. 

The worst of the storms hit between 8am and noon, with those in Bibb, Chilton, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Perry under a tornado warning. 

It is currently not tornado season, which stretches from March to May each year, and there is an increased risk of storms in November and December.

Streets of Alabama’s Morgan County have been littered with debris and downed power lines, with 10 to 15 people injured in the killer storms.

Golf-ball-sized hail was reported across the counties, with downed trees and structural damage littering the state. 

Authorities and forecasters are warning of the possibility of hours of destruction, with the area being pummelled by rain and wind.

The National Weather Service office in Louisville, Kentucky, already confirmed a tornado with winds of 100 mph touched down in the central Kentucky town of West Harrodsburg in Mercer County. 

Hilary Granbois, of the Morgan County Emergency Management Agency in Alabama, said: ‘So far, we’ve only had one report of an injury, and I don’t know the status of that individual.

Forecasters said a large and destructive tornado was located near Vida Junction, or 12 miles northwest of Prattville, moving to the northeast at 55 mph and 140mph at the eye of the tornado

See also  SAG Awards 2023 WINNERS: Thespians honored on film and television's big night

An immediate warning has been put in place for those within Autauga county to get out as it is a ‘life-threatening situation 

National Weather Service officials say that they have received dozens of damage reports as the storm continues to move through the state.

‘As of right now, the preliminary report of a lot of downed power lines. We have some overturned 18-wheelers.’

Students in the city of Selma, Alabama, are on ‘weather lockdown’ with schools taking ‘the necessary precautions.’

Mayor James Perkins Jr said the city had received ‘significant damage’ from the tornado.

He asked residents to avoid traveling on roads and to stay away from downed power lines, adding: ‘City crews will be out as soon as practical to clean up. In the meantime, stay safe and continue to report your damages through 911.

The Storm Predictions Centre said that the greatest risk of severe storms is a level 3 or 5 and will cover around 9.5million people over parts of Alabama and Georgia. 

More than 25 million people in the Southeast and Ohio Valley are under some form of threat for severe storms, which could include damaging wind gusts and tornadoes.