Tornadoes Slam Alabama, Mississippi, But No Deaths Reported

Sean Breslin
Published: February 3,2016



 

Severe weather on the warm side of Winter Storm Kayla moved into the South and Ohio Valley Tuesday, where several tornadoes were spawned. The twisters damaged dozens of homes and other structures, but so far, no deaths have been reported in the areas hit by severe weather Tuesday and Wednesday.
At least 12 reports of tornadoes occurred in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia throughout Tuesday and Wednesday's severe weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center, but each of those reports will need to be surveyed by a team from the National Weather Service to determine how many tornadoes were actually in progress. The severe storms took down trees and power poles and damaged structures in multiple towns.
(MORE: Where We Expect Severe Weather To Hit Next)
The threat was expected to continue Wednesday in the Southeast as the line of storms pushed toward the coast. Here's a look at some of the latest impacts from the severe side of Kayla.

Alabama

At least one large tornado was seen by chasers as it tracked through western Alabama Tuesday evening. It left behind structural damage in several towns, including Aliceville, where minor injuries were reported to the Associated Press.
A tornado emergency was issued for Carrollton shortly after, warning residents to take cover immediately. Minutes later, a massive wedge tornado was picked up on chasers' live streams as they broadcast live on The Weather Channel and elsewhere.

One of the hardest hit areas was the community of Sapps, located just outside Aliceville, suffering an apparent direct hit from the large twister. In that area, dozens of homes were damaged or completely destroyed, AL.com reported, and residents spent hours combing through the wreckage for any memoirs they could salvage in the dark Tuesday night.
"I was in the bed asleep at the time and it woke me up. It sounded like a train," Sapps resident Anthony Walker told AL.com. "It's the first time in about 25 years a tornado hit here. Everybody all the way back down there has damage for about a mile or two."
(MORE: The 10 Worst Tornadoes of 2015)
Despite all the damage, residents were relieved to learn nobody was killed by the massive tornado.
"We made it around to all the houses and I'm glad everybody got out," Sapps resident Devodrick Jackson told AL.com. "I don't really care about the materialistic stuff, I'm just glad no one got badly injured or killed."
South of Sapps and northwest of Aliceville, a survey team from the NWS viewed damage in the McMullen area Wednesday morning and gave it a preliminary rating of at least EF2. The NWS found 13 homes were destroyed, 10 of which were mobile homes, and three others damaged in that area.
A low-end EF1 tornado was confirmed near the town of Belk, but no other information was immediately available about that particular twister following the survey.
According to police, a federal correctional facility in Aliceville was also damaged by the tornado and the administrative buildings were left "in bad shape," according to a FOX 6 reporter. None of the 1,850 inmates or staff at the women's prison were injured by the storm, federal authorities said in a statement.
In Birmingham, a car was stranded in flash flooding in the 3200 block of Messer Airport Highway Tuesday afternoon, WVTM-TV reported. The driver and her son escaped the vehicle safely.
A Mardi Gras parade scheduled in downtown Mobile was canceled and rescheduled for Thursday evening due to the inclement weather, according to the NWS.
About 10,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning, Alabama Power said.

Mississippi

Before the storms worked their way into Alabama, they left plenty of damage behind in several Mississippi towns Tuesday afternoon. Six of the nine Tuesday tornado reports occurred in the Magnolia State, though it's possible several of those reports may have come from the same twister.
A radar-confirmed tornado whipped through Scooba, damaging buildings and trees on the East Mississippi Community College campus. Some student housing was among the damage, but college spokesperson Suzanne Monk said in a statement that nobody was injured on the campus and all were accounted for.
Before the supercell reached Scooba, a reported tornado caused damage in Collinsville, heavily damaging the First Baptist Church on Highway 19N. Barns were also damaged, roofs were blown off and trees were downed in the area and across roads. Mobile homes were flipped near Sharp Road and Highway 494.
Inside the church, Pastor Wade Ricks told WTOK.com he and his son hid under desks and prayed as the tornado ripped apart the structure.
“I heard it coming. I could not see it, but I could hear this awful sound,” Ricks told WTOK.com.
(MORE: Watches vs. Warnings – What's the Difference?)

According to Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie, a tornado was on the ground for about five miles in the Collinsville area Tuesday night. Power was also knocked out in the town, he told the AP.
Trees and power lines were downed and homes were also damaged in the town of Newton, according to local storm reports. The Department of Transportation reported that in Newton County, debris on MS 15 at MS 504 left all northbound lanes blocked. Wednesday afternoon, a survey team from the NWS rated that tornado EF1 and said it was in progress for 7.5 miles.
Structural damage was reported by a radar-confirmed tornado in Prismatic. In Electric Mills, a possible tornado downed trees east of De Kalb.
The roofs were blown off of a house and store on Highway 145 on the north side of Shuqualak, according to NWS. This tornado was rated EF1 with a path length of 6.5 miles.
Rain continued to fall on Wednesday, leading to flooding in some areas. Flash floods were reported in several towns along a line from southern Mississippi through the middle of the state and up into the northeastern portion, according to NWS storm reports. Many roads were flooded by the heavy rain that fell Wednesday morning across the state.

Tennessee

Severe storms left at least four homes damaged in Crockett County, northeast of Memphis, Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Jones told the Jackson Sun. U.S. 412 had to be closed for hours Tuesday night after strong winds blew a pair of tractor-trailers onto their sides, the report added.
Wednesday afternoon, a survey team from the NWS found EF1 damage in Crockett County. The tornado that tracked across parts of the county Tuesday night was about 75 yards wide, the survey revealed.
According to WBBJ-TV, officials confirmed that Crockett County Schools will be shut down Wednesday due to storm damage at Crockett County High School. Bells City Schools will also be closed due to storm damage in the area.
Crockett County Sheriff's Office Lt. Roy Mosier told the Jackson Sun that the storms shifted the football stadium a few inches at the high school, and engineers would have to examine the structure on Wednesday. No injuries were reported from these storms, the report added.

Flooding was reported in parts of southeastern Memphis Tuesday afternoon, and a ramp onto I-40 East was flooded, according to NWS storm reports.

South Carolina

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Lexington County, South Carolina early Wednesday afternoon. The tornado was brief, having a path of just over half of a mile long, and has been listed as an EF0.
Several cars were damaged in a nearby car lot.

Georgia 

A tornado was reported by the NWS near Fort Stewart Wednesday afternoon, heading northeast at approximately 35 mph.
Damage to Diamond Elementary was reported, however, no one was injured, according to WJCL.
Downed power lines and minor structural damages have also been seen throughout the area.

Fort Stewart sits approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah.

North Carolina

Flooding and at least two debris flows were reported in western North Carolina on Wednesday as heavy rain created problems for travel.
Many roads were under water in and around the Asheville area as more than two inches of rain fell Wednesday morning, according to NWS storm reports. That left some vehicles trapped in floodwaters after drivers tried to navigate through flooded roads.

Northwest of Lansing, a rockslide damaged a vehicle along Big Windfall Road at about 10:30 a.m. EST Wednesday morning. Minutes later, a mudslide was reported near Ashford along U.S. 221 North.
At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, winds gusted to nearly 50 mph early Wednesday afternoon, and the NWS warned on Twitter that tree damage was imminent in the area due to the strong winds.

Indiana

At least four vehicles became stuck in floodwaters at the intersection of Columbia Street and Fulton Avenue in Evansville Tuesday night, according to NWS.

California

One person was killed by the first round of storms in California. The death occurred Sunday in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego when a giant tree fell onto four nearby cars, according to NBC San Diego. The victim, identified by CBS8.com as 48-year-old Nicki Carano, was driving along Ingraham Street when the large oak tree was brought down by strong winds. Four cars were crushed by the fallen tree.