At least six people have died this Thursday in Autauga County, Alabama, due to a storm that has hit strong tornadoes in the southern United States, as reported by the New York Times. There are several dozen homes damaged or destroyed in the county and authorities are assessing the extent of the damage.
The southeast region of the country is under alert for strong storms and at the moment, more than 100,000 people are without electricity in the states of Alabama, Georgia and Tennesseeand some minor injuries have been reported, as explained by the director of external affairs for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, Greg Robinson, as reported by CNN.
The National Weather Service has reported that it is expected that the storms continue through the afternoon and night of Thursday, as well as It is expected that tornadoes will continue to be reported in this area of the countryas well as strong winds.
State of emergency in six counties
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency for six of the counties “that were in the path of Mother Nature’s wrath.”
“I, along with my partners at the Alabama Emergency Agency, will continue to monitor to determine if an expanded state of emergency is needed,” he added.
In Greensboro, Alabama, the devastation caused by a tornado that ripped apart homes and trees is seen. Mike Goodall via AP
The National Weather Service in Birmingham has previously issued multiple tornado watches throughout the day in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, with speeds that can reach more than 100 kilometers per hour.
In the state of Alabama there was evidence of more than a dozen tornadoes and one of them caused significant damage in the city of Selma this Thursday, US media reported.
The mayor of Selma, James Perkins Jr., has asked citizens through a post on their social networks to refrain from using cars and stay away from electric poles. “Emergency response teams are already in the area, we ask you to remain calm,” he wrote.
In videos and images shared on social networks, you can see the disaster left by the tornado in its wake: destroyed houses, fallen trees and the streets full of rubble.
Much of the southeastern part of the country, including the states of Georgia, Alabama, and parts of Tennessee and North Carolina, are under a storm watch that affects 35 million peopleaccording to the National Weather Service.
Several flights to and from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta have been canceled due to the storm, according to US media.
The National Weather Service has also spotted another storm in the form of an apparent tornado moving east near Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in the city of East Point, located southwest of Atlanta, in Fulton County, Georgia.
