In Autauga County, Alabama, 41 miles northeast of Selma, at least six fatalities were confirmed and an estimated 40 homes were damaged or destroyed by a tornado that cut a 20-mile path across two rural communities, said Ernie Baggett, the county's emergency management director.
Several mobile homes were launched into the air and at least 12 people were injured severely enough to be taken to hospitals by emergency responders, Baggett told The Associated Press. He said crews were focused Thursday night on cutting through downed trees to look for people who may need help.
The press is reporting from Selma AL, but the storm track went several hundred miles through Alabama and Georgia.
It was a *strong* squall line/ cold front storm system. The ‘storm’ was short-lived, maybe 20 minutes as the front passed, although the rains persisted for several hours. Had a beautiful sunset once we got to the clear line.
Lots of moisture, lifting action (convection), unstable lapse rates, and strong shear at altitude.
Good recipe for strong storms.
To call it “giant” is hyperbole.
Arguably there’s no big uptick in “extreme weather” here, there’s just SOOOO many more ground targets now than there were even 20 years ago, due to population and industrial growth.
It’s of course bad for the folks affected. I feel for them, and have (years ago/’younger’) responded to storm areas for reconstruction. The devastation strong storm winds can wreak is astonishing - both in strength and ‘damage here’ but not right across the same street.
We lost utility power here briefly due to lightning/winds, but no material damage in N GA reported.
My daughter had a meeting in Selma. Upset by the devastation. Said it reminded her of the Tuscaloosa tornados several years ago.