(NYT) – At least five people died and homes and businesses were leveled in Alabama as a result of powerful storms and tornadoes moving across the Southeast on Thursday.
The National Weather Service reported multiple tornadoes in Alabama, including one that likely traveled over 100 miles, from near Birmingham to the northeastern corner of the state.
The five deaths were reported in Calhoun County, where crews were performing search-and-rescue operations to look for any more people who were injured or killed, said Tiffany DeBoer, a spokeswoman for the county’s emergency management agency.
In Florence, Ala., a police officer was struck by lightning during the height of the afternoon storm, said Chief Mike Holt. The officer suffered burns but survived.
Homes were destroyed in and around Birmingham. The police in Pelham, Ala., a suburb south of Birmingham, said that some roads were left impassable by downed trees and utility lines.
More than 45,000 properties across several states had lost electricity by evening, according to PowerOutage.us. READ MORE
