Elmore County EMA Director Keith Barnett confirms widespread damage from Lightwood to Holtville to Slapout, across Lake Jordan, into the Titus Community and stretching into Coosa County. First responders also took a man who lived in the same residence as the 39-year-old woman and 8-year-old boy to the hospital. Dozens of homes were destroyed and dozens more damaged in the path of the storm, said Ernie Baggett, director of the Autauga County Emergency Management Agency. The Flatwood Community Center was destroyed in the storm. Anyone who spots a downed line can callAlabama Power at1-800-888-2726. Photos, video of damage, How bad will 2023 tornado season be? Last few hours have been very tough on the community, but certainly could have been worse, Reed said. Alabama Tornado Database 2023 - National Weather Service The National Weather Service in Birmingham reported damage in Dallas County, including the Selma Country Club. Reeves' car became stuck underneath the tree. Opelika City Schools in Lee County are delayed two hours. The numbers dont measure up to those of March, April, May, and November, but they are still significant. The storm also hit at Berry Hill Place. Kelsie Salers was counting her blessings late Thursday afternoon as she surveyed the damage of her brick home on County Road 68. NEW! The National Weather Service had placed a large stretch of central Florida under a tornado watch on Saturday afternoon as thunderstorms were cutting across the state. The tornado touched down. Radar and the National Weather Service indicated a tornado on the ground south of Wetumpka, Alabama, at about 11 a.m. 0:59. "A tornado has definitely damaged Selma. The account said the storm touched down "moments ago, producing damage.". At the time, about 32,300 Alabama Power customers across the area were without service because of the storms. That included 1,000 people in Elmore County, 900 people in Montgomery County, 560 people in Butler County and 300 people in Tallapoosa County. Alabama has tornado hot spots and overall tornado numbers are rising, Fultondale tornado occurred in an area that sees more tornadoes than any other part of the state, The northern half of the state sees substantially more tornadoes than the southern half of the state outside of Baldwin and Mobile counties, Speaking of Baldwin and Mobile countiesthose numbers are so high to due numerous weaker tornadoes spawned by tropical systems, Highly populated counties have higher numbers because tornadoes are seen and reported much more often due to more people living there, Counties in West Alabama may have lower tornado counts due to lower populations and a lack of reliable radar coverage, Mortgage manager shares credit score tips, Montgomery Probate Judge JC Love announces REACCT program, REACCT program launched to protect Montgomery residents from property fraud, CANCELED: Enterprise police searching for missing 12-year-old, ingredients for severe weather and tornadoes. EF-3 damage in the Kingston area of Autauga County, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Elmore and Montgomery counties (Flatwood-Willow Springs tornado). Those affected by the storms can call RRUW at 334-264-7318 for more information. Reeves said he sprained his wrist in the crash. It caused damage to Prattville Pickers on US 82 near the Prattville Country Club. He pulled over. Compare that to just 39 tornadoes when looking at the average dating back to 1970! He rode out the storm in his basement and was relieved to find no damage to his house. Thats all the damages that have been reported to us, Montgomery EMA director Christina Thornton said. A tornado watch will continue for parts of south and central Alabama until 1 a.m. Monday: A tornado watch continues for Alabama until 1 a.m. Tornado stacks cars, rips roofs off homes in Florida All rights reserved (About Us). Although debris did hit her son in the head, no one in the home was seriously injured. According to the Montgomery City/County EMA, a tornado warning was issued at 3:14 a.m. when radar identified a tornado in east Montgomery. She said "you couldn't hardly see.". Cheryl Kelleys apartment sustained minor damage, including a broken window and shingles torn off her roof. The company said repair work is ongoing and that local crews are now being assisted by workers from other areas. It is raining through the roof in the kitchen," Sanders told AP. While its expected for the more densely populated counties to have high tornado counts, its obvious there are corridors that are hotter than the rest of the state. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Several homes and businesses in Montgomery were damaged by a possible tornado early Wednesday morning. Candidate announces Montgomery City Council District 2 campaign. Oh my God, that looks like a tornado,' and it was that quick," Thornton said. Footage of a confirmed tornado that touched down in Selma was posted to Twitter by Weather Nation at 12:52 p.m. Alabama Power officials said service had been restored to about 88% of customers across central Alabama by 11 a.m., but damage to the power infrastructure here was "severe.". For more recent tornadoes, clicking deeper provides more details, damage estimates and whether someone was injured or killed in the storm. 0:04. Jeff Reeves was heading home for lunch when the tornado struck Selma. First responders told him that they had to leave him to take care of others. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families impacted by todays devastating storms, Singleton said in a statement. We assembled when the storm was first occurring, and we have an incident action plan for Montgomery first, Cooper said. Since 1990, tornado activity across the state has increased overall. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico.In the 2020 census, Montgomery's population was 200,603. Yall, its a disaster, Brown said. January 6, 2023 A possible tornado spawned in Montgomery, Alabama, as a system of severe weather moved across the Southeast. There were no injuries reported for Elmore County. "We were sitting there watching the radar. We appreciate the patience of the community and our crew members as we work to clear areas damaged by last night's storm. "The trees start swaying and the wind was knocking everywhere," Lharris said. A hurricane watcher's guide to the latest track and model forecasts. Selma has received significant damage from the tornado. A possible tornado struck neighborhoods in east Montgomery before dawn Wednesday, damaging homes, ripping down trees, and tossing vehicles. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 100 mph. Salers moved into the home nine months ago. Douglass said that the county is working with the city, state and multiple volunteer fire departments. According to the Montgomery Emergency Management Agency, the damage . As of 6 p.m. Thursday there were six confirmed fatalities, Autauga County Sheriff Dave Hill said. Cunningham asked people to avoid the area as rescue workers continue to go door to door. We had a massive tree that fell on the home, Castanza said. Emergency responders from Montgomery Fire Rescue helped remove a tree that had fallen on a home in the Flatwood community in north Montgomery before rescuing a father and recovering two victims who were part of the same family, MFR Chief of Special Operations Sam Castanza said. The unforgettable year of 2011 leads the way with a ridiculous 145 tornadoes hitting the state. NWS releases preliminary reports on 13 Alabama tornadoes from Jan. 12 The storm passed over Autaugaville and Prattville according to its radar track. A burst of severe weather spawned 11 tornadoes in Alabama from Friday through Monday morning, including three cyclones in the Montgomery area. It did a lot of damage to the neighborhood," said Doris Shuler, a resident of Williams Drive in the Flatwood community. She can be reached at [email protected] or 479-926-9570. This interactive map, which contains data from January 1950 to January 31, 2023, pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and traces its path of destruction. In Alabama, a possible early-morning tornado just north of Montgomery killed a 39-year-old woman and her 8-year-old son when a tree fell on their mobile home, authorities said. This is the same tornado that touched down in Selma about noon and caused extensive damage there. At least 7 dead after destructive tornadoes hit Alabama - NBC News Montgomery, Alabama - Wikipedia These hot spots to our north are likely due to a couple of factors. This data is updated every 5 minutes. "I put on brakes, but I was too late," Reeves said. City crews are working to assist residents by clearing debris. A mother and her 8-year-old son have died in central Alabama after a tornado with winds of up to 115 mph struck overnight, officials said. The boy's. It began at 1120 UTC in eastern Montgomery and traveled east for 6 km, killing two people and injuring seventeen. Path length 9.92 miles; path width 650 yards. Other authorities confirmed the victims were mother and son. "A large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly tornado is on the ground" is north Autauga and east central Dallas counties, according to the NWS. I was so scared.. Were grateful not to have confirmed any fatalities associated with this mornings tornado outbreak. 2023 www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Joshua Douglass with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. According to the Montgomery Emergency Management Agency, the damage was concentrated in the following areas: Mayor Steven Reed, members of the city council and others held a news conference Wednesday to update the public. There was wide spread damage caused by downed trees, said Keith Barnett, director of the Elmore County EMA. Valley Storm Shelters has what you need to stay safe during tornado season So, he joined a group that was using chainsaws to get tree limbs out of the way so ambulances and fire trucks could get through. While not the most active months of the yearFebruary, December and January actually rank as the 5th, 6th and 7th most active months respectively for tornadic activity in Alabama since 1950. Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? The country club's roof was ripped off in the tornado. Preliminary findings from the National Weather Service suggest the tornado reached wind speeds up to 110 mph. The bulk of the damage appears to be in the Old Kingston and County Road 68 area of Marbury. But everywhere he went, there was damage. Severe Weather Outbreak - March 6, 1996 Copyright 2023 WSFA. The tornado tracked northeast and crossed Eagle Road and County Road 30 before dissipating just north of Highway 82. Possible tornado damages homes, park in east Montgomery - MSN At Tara Williams home on Michigan Avenue, a tree took out her front two bedrooms and tore off the roof. "It was a pretty significant tornado" with "debris lofted in the air to about 10,000 to 15,000 feet," Satterwhite said. And that total could rise. All rights reserved. He urged people to be weather aware as the weekend approaches. The storm tracked northeast crossing the Eclectic area. "This is an unusually fast moving storm. Residents throughout Selma reported widespread damage after Thursday's storm. Kay Ivey. A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Alabama since 1950 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. DO NOT attempt to remove tree limbs or anything else caught in power lines. Other outages in Elmore County are located south of Tallassee. By WSFA 12 News Staff. They offered these safety reminders: Wednesday could see more severe weather. More than a dozen tornadoes were reported across Alabama on Thursday. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Seven people are now confirmed dead and significant damage is being reported from Thursday's severe storms and tornado outbreak across much of central Alabama.. There is also damage in the Houston Park neighborhood of Selma and rural areas of Dallas County along Highway 14 around Burnsville. Tornado confirmed in central Alabama, 3,800 without power The Montgomery Tornado was produced by a different thunderstorm and was the last of four tornadoes associated with a bow/comma echo structure (Fujita 1978). Law enforcement encouraged people who have been impacted by the possible tornado to go to Union Academy Baptist Church at 4748 Lower Wetumpka Rd. The tornado that tore through Fultondale and Center Point is an example of something that Alabama has become familiar with over the last few decades -- rising tornado numbers no matter the time of day, week, month, or year. Selma native and US Rep. Terri Sewell said Thursday a federal response was in the works hours after deadly storms swept through central Alabama. The storm also caused widespread damage in south Elmore County along Rifle Range Road and in the Redland area, said Keith Barnett, Elmore County EMA director. It happened in about five seconds, said Caleb Morris, who lives in the neighborhood behind the country club in Selma. An EF1 tornado struck the Lake Martin area Sunday night in Elmore County with winds of 110 miles per hour. The tornado that killed two in the Flatwood area near Montgomery had winds estimated at 110 mph, the National Weather Service said. Gov. "We have already seen parts of the state rattled by this severe weather system, which is why I have issued a state of emergency for six of our counties that were in the path of Mother Natures wrath: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa," Ivey wrote on social media. About 290 Montgomery customers and 160 Wilcox County customers were still without power by 10:30 a.m. The Selma Country Club in west Selma was severely damaged by the tornado that touched down shortly after 12 p.m. Thursday. Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city While a majority of Alabamas twisters strike between noon and 7 pm, more than 30% of all tornadoes to hit the state over the last 70 years have come while its dark! 0:27. NWS said a "large and extremely dangerous tornado" is moving through Selma and urged residents to take shelter. *Tornado risk is calculated from the destruction path that has occured within 30 miles of the location. Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. In that area, damaged buildings include Pratt City Barbershop, the Family Dollar Store and the Firestone Complete Auto Care. Contact him [email protected] follow him on Twitter@EvanMealins. For more information on the EF-Scale. It crossed the Alabama River into Montgomery County north of the toll bridge downing trees north of the Alabama River Parkway. Exercise caution near chain link fences. Hill said responders are preparing to take several injured to the local hospitals. But still Ive seen other homes destroyed up and down this road so we were very lucky.. He was thankful that this time it happened in the daylight instead of while everyone was asleep. When the winds calmed and it seemed safe to go outside, she found parts of buildings torn down, electrical poles in the streets and a row of cars with shattered windows and major damage. Ivey said she is monitoring the situation with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to determine if an expanded state of emergency is needed. The National Weather Service's Birmingham office confirmed the storm was a tornado Wednesday afternoon after surveying damage in the county. You can give to the fund by texting DISASTER23 to 41444 or going torruw.org. As severe weather or blizzards threaten, this database scrapes power outage information from more than 1,000 companies nationwide. NWS reported that a tornado touched down twice in Selma, at 12:18 and 12:19 p.m. Any time you can walk away from something like this, and theres no lives lost, I think its a blessing, Booker said. It then left the ground and struck again south of Tallassee. 15 %. Marbury High School is the drop off point for students who could not make it home by bus in the affected areas. A tornado warning for Montgomery County was issued the same minute the storm touched down and was in effect until 4:15 a.m. Reed said a siren went off to warn people in eastern Montgomery about the tornado. According to Thornton, two people were killed in the Flatwood community just outside of the Alabama capital of Montgomery when a tornado tore through the area. The city of Montgomery has cancelled all afternoon and evening classes that were scheduled for January 12 at the Armory Learning Arts Center. That includes many EF2s, EF3s and even a few intense EF4 tornadoes. A tree landed on her sons bed, and he had to crawl out from under it to escape. 'Recovery is difficult,' mayor says in aftermath of 2011 tornado At this time, there remain 13,400 APC customers without service in central Alabama. More:Elmore County family trapped for hours after tree fell on home Sunday night. An early Wednesday morning tornado killed two people just north of Montgomery. The other begins in Claud, near Eclectic and tracks seven miles through the Kent community. Day 1 Wind Risk. Road blockages prevent bus drivers from traveling their regular routes after school, but Superintendent Zickeyous Byrd said parents are welcome to come and check out their scholars at this time.. Calls reporting damage quickly began coming in after. She later added, We can replace the material things, but you cant replace lives.. Local tornado warnings went out beginning about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday with Dallas, Autauga and Lowndes counties going under a warning. Weather Prediction Center forecasts the probability that rainfall will exceed flash flood guidance within 25 miles of a point. The company said fallen trees had led to downed wires across the area. It continued east-northeastward, downing trees along . Track all current severe weather warnings, watches and advisories for Montgomery, Alabama and other areas in the United States on the interactive weather alerts page. Morris said it was about the fifth time the neighborhood had come together to recover from storms. Several other places across central and south Alabama were damaged. So, were grateful and thankful for that there were no fatalities that have been reported at this time., Our public works teams have been working hard to remove debris off Hollis Drive and Meriwether Road following this morning's strong storm in east Montgomery. of Tornados in Montgomery, AL 2 My mother described the damage to me when she called, so I was prepared. Triage has been set up near the intersection of Autauga County Road 68 and U.S. Highway 31 in the Marbury Community. Several homes and other buildings have received "substantial" damage, she said. The forecast will be more finely tuned as the weekend approaches, Holmes said. The National Weather Service Office in Birmingham said a preliminary storm survey showed an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 110 miles per hour damaged the Flatwood community in Montgomery County. The roads to that neighborhood were expected to be blocked for several hours due to downed trees and powerlines, he said at the time. Residents reported losing patios, roofs and shingles on their homes throughout the area. The National Weather Service Office in Birmingham classified the storm as an EF-2 tornado with winds estimated at 115 miles per hour. Click Here.