At least 9 dead after tornadoes rip across the South
Officials in both Alabama and Georgia issued emergency declarations following the deadly storms on Thursday that left many communities damaged and without power.
One of several tornadoes in Alabama on Jan. 12 touched down in Eutaw, wrecking multiple homes and causing widespread tree damage.
At least nine fatalities were confirmed following a severe weather outbreak that spawned dozens of destructive tornadoes across the southern United States on Thursday, including in the historic city of Selma, Alabama.
States of emergency were declared in Alabama and Georgia after the storms uprooted trees, ripped roofs off homes and knocked the power out for thousands of people.
In Autauga County, Alabama, located just northwest of Montgomery, at least six fatalities were confirmed after a tornado created widespread damage in the county, according to the Autauga County Sheriff's Office.
As search and rescue operations continued into Friday, the death toll in Autauga County rose to seven, WSFA reported. A woman who was initially reported missing was pronounced dead when her body was located early Friday morning, according to the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office.
Autauga County Emergency Management Director Ernie Baggett told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline the twister carved a 20-mile-long path through the county on Thursday. Baggett noted that most of the people who died were in mobile homes during the storm and that search and rescue operations would resume on Friday morning.
"We don't know for a fact [that] everyone has been accounted for," Baggett said to Angeline. "It looks like we've got about 40 homes, maybe a few more, that have been either destroyed or [have] major damage."
In Butts County, Georgia, southeast of Atlanta, an additional fatality was reported when a tree fell onto a vehicle, hitting both the mother and six-year-old boy in the car. The six-year-old boy died from the accident, and the mother was taken to a hospital but has since been released, FOX5 Atlanta reported.
The second fatality in Georgia was a state Department of Transportation worker who was killed while responding to storm damage, according to The Associated Press.
Preliminary storm survey results began to trickle in on Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham on Friday said that at least EF2 tornado damage was confirmed in Selma, while at least EF3 damage was confirmed near the Kingston community in Autauga County. “While these areas of damage were caused by the same storm, it is not yet known if there was a continuous path of damage,” the NWS said. An EF2 tornado’s winds range between 111 to 135 mph, while an EF3 tornado can produce winds of 136 to 165 mph.
The first tornado emergency of 2023 was issued when the deadly twister ripped through Autauga County, Alabama, Thursday afternoon. The NWS warned it was a "life-threatening situation." Numerous roadways in Joffre and Old Kingston suffered heavy damage, and severe damage was reported along County Road 68 in the area of US-31 near Prospect, Alabama.
Reports from Thursday morning to Friday morning.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for six counties, including Autauga County, following the storms. The counties of Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa were also included in the declaration.
"We have already seen parts of the state rattled by this severe weather system, which is why I have issued a state of emergency," Ivey said in a tweet. Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Georgia later Thursday afternoon.
In addition to the devastation in Autauga County, multiple other counties reported damage from the several tornadoes that barreled across the South on Thursday. One of the hardest-hit cities was the historic city of Selma in Dallas County, Alabama.
The roof of a local business is strewn about after a tornado passed through Selma, Ala., Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Selma, located about 40 miles west of Montgomery, was in the path of a large and extremely dangerous tornado around 12:30 p.m. local time on Thursday. The powerful tornado made a direct hit to the downtown area and caused extensive damage to numerous businesses and structures, WSFA reported.
Officials deemed the downtown area a "disaster area" and told residents to avoid traveling on roadways as crews worked to clean up the storm debris. Downed power lines were also reported throughout the region.
City officials met on a sidewalk in the downtown area to declare a state of emergency, The Associated Press reported.
"Selma has received significant damage from the tornado. Everyone has been asked to use 911 to report damage and stay away from downed power lines. City crews are out clearing right of ways and providing assistance," The Office of Mayor James Perkins, Jr. told AccuWeather on Thursday.
The Dallas County Jail in Selma sustained a hit from the tornado, and the Sheriff's Association was working to get inmates moved to other counties' facilities, WSFA reported.
The powerful twister came close to Selma High School, but the school's Superintendent, Sickeyous Byrd, told reporters that all the students were safe and no injuries were reported. Damage was reported at Knox Elementary school, though.
All that remains of a house on County Road 43 is the foundation in aftermath from severe weather, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Prattville, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
In Griffin, Georgia, a tornado-warned storm, disrupted the school dismissal process at Giriffin-Spalding County Public Schools, FOX5 reported. Students, who had just gotten on the bus to go home, were brought back into the school to shelter in place. Parents were allowed to pick their kids up, but the students who relied solely on buses to get home were being held at the school. At least 20 students and 28 staff remained at the school until Thursday night.
At least six school systems in the southern half of Atlanta canceled classes on Friday, The Associated Press reported.
Four funeral home workers were lucky to be alive after a large tree crashed into their building. The workers told WMAZ that after the power went out in the building, they all decided to move to a back room, which was a decision that saved their lives. The tree fell on the front of the building, but luckily no injuries were reported.
Additional damage in Griffin was seen at Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Dollar General and AutoZone.
“Behind me is a Hobby Lobby. You can see the roof has been completely torn off. On the inside, just so much damage and this is just a piece of what we’re seeing,” Ivan Rogriguez a CNN Newsource correspondent said in a live report Friday morning. “Across the street, there is a row of three homes. Those roofs are completely caved in as well.”
In Eutaw, Alabama, a city located northwest of Montgomery, officials urged those who were traveling to stay away from the area as crews worked to clean up the mess the storms left behind.
"Effective immediately, the City of Eutaw is closed for traffic and we encourage everyone to stay home off the roads and safe until we can clear the area," Eutaw Mayor Latasha Johnson told AccuWeather.
Just east of Eutaw, a tornado uprooted trees and caused damage to numerous homes in Greensboro, Alabama.
“This was my mom’s house, y’all,” Aqutia Bennett said as she recorded the damage in Greensboro on Thursday afternoon. “Everybody is safe, thank God for that. Stuff can be replaced … just, thank God it’s no worse than it is.”
Nationwide, there were 50 preliminary tornado reports on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). As of Saturday evening, at least 32 tornadoes have been confirmed with more surveys set for Sunday.
In Kentucky, the NWS conducted multiple storm surveys and found six EF1 twisters and 1 EF0 twister had touched down in the state on Thursday. In Mississippi, at least one EF1 twister was reported in each state. At least a dozen tornadoes were reported in Alabama, with five rated at EF2 or higher.
No injuries or fatalities were reported in Mercer County, Kentucky, where two homes suffered extensive damage, and several barns were damaged after an EF1 twister ripped through the area on Thursday morning.
"[The tornado] could have been really bad, but thankfully, no one was hurt," Mercer County Emergency Director Brad Cox told AccuWeather.
A metal building in Mercer County was picked up, rotated and dropped back on its foundation, except it was facing the opposite direction, according to Cox.
On Friday, the NWS confirmed an EF1 tornado trekked through Lawrence, Morgan and Limestone Counties in Alabama on Thursday night. The tornado had estimated peak winds of 104 mph and path length of 30.4 miles.
Additional storm surveys for multiple areas across the Southeast will be conducted over the weekend, according to the NWS.
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