An EF-5 Tornado Hits Selma, Alabama, Killing At Least 8 People

(CTN News) – Search crews worked all night looking for people trapped after a deadly storm system spawned tornadoes across the South. At least eight people were killed and Selma sustained significant damage.

The most severe of the weather moved across Georgia on a track south of Atlanta before one tornado ripped through two rural Alabama communities.

According to Autauga County Coroner Buster Barber, searchers found a body after daybreak Friday near a home damaged in Thursday’s storm. The death brings the death toll in the county to seven.

According to Butts County Coroner Lacey Prue, a tree fell on a vehicle in Jackson, Georgia. According to officials, a freight train was knocked off its tracks by the storm.

As crews cut through downed trees looking for more people, Ernie Baggett, Autauga County’s emergency management director, said at least 12 people had serious injuries.

The storm damaged or destroyed about 40 homes, including several mobile homes. It wasn’t just a windstorm. The wind blew them away.”

More victims will be found on Friday, so a more comprehensive picture of the damage will emerge. At least 14 Alabama counties and five Georgia counties reported suspected tornado damage late Thursday.

The Selma city council declared a state of emergency on a sidewalk using cellphone lights.

Griffin, south of Atlanta, was hit by the storm as mourners gathered for a wake. As a large tree fell on the building, 20 people scrambled for shelter in restrooms and offices.

“We were in shock when we came out,” said Sha-Meeka Peterson-Smith, the funeral home’s chief operating officer. It didn’t seem as terrible as it actually was.”

The uprooted tree crashed through the front of the building, destroying a viewing room, a lounge, and the front office. No injuries.

Trees fell on an apartment complex in Griffin, trapping multiple people inside. A Hobby Lobby store lost part of its roof, and firefighters freed a man who had been pinned for hours under a tree that fell on his house. The city imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday.

There were more than 40 tornado reports nationwide on Thursday, and tornado warnings were issued for Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and North Carolina. Once assessments are done, some tornado reports may be classified as wind damage.

A tornado struck Selma’s downtown, destroying brick buildings, uprooting oak trees, flipping cars and dangling power lines. Smoke from a fire rose over the city; the cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.

No fatalities have been reported, but several people were seriously injured. Aerial views of the city were planned for Friday.

The power lines are down a lot. It’s dangerous out there.”

A charity offers boxed meals to Selma residents.

I’m glad we’re here. As if from a TV show,” Moore said.

A wavy jet stream brought on by La Nina was a factor in creating a cold front, Gensini said. Tornado outbreaks require more. Moisture is also critical.

This time of year in the Southeast is fairly dry. However, the dew point was twice normal, likely because of unusually warm Gulf of Mexico water, likely caused by climate change. Cold front moisture added to killer storms.

About 22,000 Alabamans were without power early Friday, according to PowerOutage.us. Nearly 23,000 Georgians remain without power after the storm system passed south of Atlanta.

On Friday, 90,000 Georgia students were out of school.

The Short Answer:

Inside thunderclouds, warm, humid air rises, while cool air falls–along with rain or hail. These conditions can cause spinning air currents inside the cloud. Although the spinning currents start out horizontal, they can turn vertical and drop down from the cloud–becoming a tornado.

What causes a tornado?

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