A 5-year-old boy also died in Georgia when a tree tripped over four.
A tornado hit the state Thursday. Killing at least seven people in Alabama, destroying homes. And causing what Selma’s mayor called “significant damage.” A five-year-old boy also died in Georgia when the car he was riding in crashed into a tree.
The Alabama death occurred in Autauga County, northwest of Montgomery, said Ernie Baggett. Director of the county’s emergency management agency.
He said a tornado hit the communities of Old Kingston and Marbury, with a suspected path of about 20 miles.
“We have about 40 to 50 homes that we know of that either sustained major damage or were destroyed now,” Baggett said.
In Selma, Mayor James Perkins Jr. said at a news conference that the city was assessing the extent of the damage. And that no casualties had been reported as of Thursday afternoon. He asked residents to submit photos of any damage around Selma.
“I thought it was all over for me,” Bobby Green, who was in his car in Selma when the storm hit. Told NBC affiliate WVTM in Birmingham.
Emergency response crews were on the ground to provide help.
“We have received many devastating reports of damage.” The National Weather Service in Birmingham said in a statement. It said storm surveys could take days to confirm a tornado.
Selma officials enforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew, warning residents. That exposed power lines created a dangerous situation.
“All schools have reported that students are in school and safe. It is not safe to attend school or allow children to leave school now,” officials said.
Perkins said about 10,000 homes and businesses in Selma were without power as of 7:30 p.m., most of them downtown. He said crews were en route to make sure cell service was not lost in the city.
With the power out, the Selma City Council held. An emergency meeting outside, audio recorded on a cell phone. And streamed on Facebook. Some members could not attend due to extensive damage to their homes. The agency allocated $2 million from its budget surplus for the disaster.
People shared photos and videos of the damage around Selma. Some showing entire streets where many buildings appeared to have been demolished. One user shared more than two dozen photos on Facebook, showing flattened homes. Fallen trees on roads and even a car that had been crushed by a power line.
A Twitter user posted a video of a funnel cloud touching down from their vantage point on Interstate 65.
Thunderstorms have ordered ground stops for flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday. or flights departing from Atlanta.
And there was minimal impact on Hartsfield-Jackson.
In Morgan County, the sheriff’s office. Decatur, Morgan County, overturned truck and downed many trees. Police said there were minor injuries.
But some in Georgia and Kentucky, according to the weather service. Whether and how many were tornadoes must be verified by storm surveys.
In Georgia, Buttes County Deputy County Manager J. Michael Brewer has confirmed.The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
In Spalding County, Georgia, the sheriff’s office reported “massive amounts of vegetation” down. Blocking roads and downing power lines. The town of Griffin, which is in the county, suffered damage and urged residents to stay home.
And ended up partially on top of another car, according to video from Atlanta’s NBC affiliate WXIA.
“My prayers are with their loved ones and the community. We are all too familiar with devastating weather, but our people are resilient. We will get through this and be stronger for it,” he tweeted.
