It’s Over for West Alabama
West Alabama counties are now in the clear. That complex of severe thunderstorms, high winds, heavy rain, vivid lightning and tornadoes that raked across West Alabama this afternoon and early evening is moving across the I-65 corridor.
The High Risk issued for today and tonight by the Storm Prediction Center lived up to its name. It may not have been equal to April 27, 2011, but it created havoc enough. At least 32 people have died from Kansas to Missouri to Mississippi and hundreds of homes and businesses have been damaged and destroyed from violent tornadoes. Damage estimates are in the millions.
As bad as it was in West Alabama, it could have been worse. Some non-life-threatening injuries were reported, a few homes were destroyed, and thousands of customers were left without power but the destruction in West Alabama did not rise to the level of our neighbors to the west.
The two areas of West Alabama hit the hardest were Gordo in Pickens County and Sipsey in Walker County.
In Gordo, a tornado left a narrow, but destructive, path leaving several homes heavily damaged or destroyed. Pickens County EMA reported several minor injuries. One couple was briefly trapped inside their home by downed power lines.
Dozens of tree removal crews and volunteer fire departments have worked through the evening to remove numerous trees from roads, including U.S. 82 which was totally blocked for hours.
"As bad as it is it could have been so much worse, we fortunately had no fatalities and that is a blessing." Pickens County EMA Director Lakitha Bell stated.
In Walker County, two individuals were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries when a twister ripped off roofs and downed a number of power lines. debris littered the area.
A small tornado in northwest Tuscaloosa County downed trees and damaged boats on Highway 43 at Lake Tuscaloosa. No injuries were reported but there was some roof damage in the area.
As the storms moved eastward a tornado warning was issued for Perry and Bibb counties, but no damage has been reported.
As the severe weather crossed Central Alabama, a potential tornado caused extensive damage to a mobile home park in Calera, in Shelby County. An RV dealership just off I65 lost most all of its inventory and its structures.
Yet another tornado did damage in Talladega, including structures at Talladega College. Not long after, a tornado left a debris path near the Dallas/Chilton County line near Plantersville before passing over Clanton.
The storms are now moving in east Alabama toward the Georgia state line and should be out of Alabama by midnight.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham themselves had to seek shelter in a reinforced room as the tornado that struck Calera passed near their location at the Shelby County Airport. They will send survey teams out Sunday to determine the strength, size and path of each tornado reported.
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