A tornado struck Birmingham, Alabama, on Christmas Day causing “signficiant damage” to parts of the town, a forecaster said.
Advertisement
Iraq says Turkey must pull out all its troops after partial withdrawal
The United States has said it is willing to deploy advisers and attack helicopters to help Iraq retake Ramadi, west of Baghdad. Ankara insists the deployment was a routine rotation, but Baghdad said it was unauthorised and a violation of its sovereignty.
A tornado touched down in the Birmingham, Alabama, area on Friday, leaving a two square-mile swath of destruction as the region was battered by heavy rains and flooding, officials said.
India, Russia Sign 16 Agreements, Defence Manufacturing Gets Boost
Welcoming PM Modi, Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, said he had also invited the Indian PM to Pakistan during his recent visit to India.
The agency said in a statement Friday night that there were reports of another death and another person missing. The tornado is part of an intense storm system that has hammered the southern USA during the week of Christmas.
At least 14 dead in trail of destruction
The Storm Prediction Center said at least 14 tornadoes hit MS on Wednesday, but a single twister did most of the damage. It’s part of the same cell that warranted an earlier tornado warning in Tuscaloosa County, southwest of the Jefferson.
But any reports of tornado-like damage in the region will be treated as if it is a tornado. In addition, seven people were killed in MS and one died in Arkansas.
Tennessee officials say storms damaged 12 or more homes in McNairy County and destroyed a post office in Wayne County, while isolated damage was reported in 11 other counties.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said he issued a declaration of disaster.
So far, the storms have caused widespread damage to more than 100 homes and businesses in Mississippi.
That would make the total number of deaths in MS linked to the weather as eight, with two people missing altogether.
The National Weather Service says search and rescue efforts are ongoing in Birmingham, Alabama, where a tornado moved through in the past hour.
“You kind of stop and realize what Christmas is all about”, Perkins said.
“He and I just huddled together and saw trees fly past us, and a shipping container flip over”, Ables said.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says dozens of people are being treated for injuries after Wednesday’s tornado outbreak.
Heavy rain already is falling in areas stretching across Alabama, from the MS state line west of Tuscaloosa to the Georgia state line east of Anniston.
Flood watches and warnings covered parts of the state.
Unseasonably warm weather Wednesday helped spawn twisters from Arkansas to MI.
In Benton County, Mississippi, relatives helped Daisy and Charles Johnson clean up after the storm flattened their house.
Advertisement
Among the dead were seven people from MS, including a 7-year-old boy who perished while riding in a auto that was swept up and tossed by storm winds.
