Alabama tornado adds to Christmas storm woes

“National Weather Service crews will assess damage Saturday morning in southwest Birmingham and east Tuscaloosa, locations where tornadoes possibly touched down Christmas Day as storms roared through the state”. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down, The Associated Press reported.

There were reports of one person who was injured in the tornado and taken to a local hospital for treatment, Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker said.

Several houses were damaged, trees were toppled and power was knocked out in the area, said Edwards.

There have been reports of flooding in counties throughout Alabama.

Six fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, including three people found dead on Thursday in a vehicle submerged in a creek, according to the fire department in Columbia, Tennessee. Goodwin’s neighbors weren’t so fortunate.

“Until they know for sure where those folks are, they’re going to keep looking, because we’ve had in some cases houses leveled, and they’re just not there anymore”, Flynn said.

“When they tell you take cover, take cover”, said one woman whose home was damaged told NBC affiliate WVTM.

A flood warning was also in effect for the Coosa River, swollen by up to 8 inches of rain over the past week.

In addition, widespread flooding has been reported in the Birmingham area as well, with reports of over 7 inches of rain in northwestern Alabama and up to 6 inches in northeastern Alabama. Dozens of families have been left homeless, and search efforts have been hampered with so many people away for the holidays. “There does appear to be some significant damage”, she said.

At least 15 people have been killed in the states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas since Thursday, officials said.

“Many parts of Alabama have experienced excessive rainfall and flooding is a major concern”, Bentley said in a news release Friday afternoon. Exactly a year ago, tornadoes hit MS, killing five people and injuring dozens.

The Alabama tornado is the latest development in an ongoing series of storms that has hammered the South during Christmas week.

Barbara Perkins and her husband were hunkered down inside a closet when violent winds peeled the roof off their MS home.