A possible tornado ripped through the southeastern part of the state, injuring five people.
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The storm hit several businesses along a stretch of U.S. 231 southeast of downtown Troy, including a Walmart that was open at the time the storm hit.
Two of those injured were inside the store when the storm struck while a third was in a truck that was overturned, he said.
Photos on social media show merchandise strewn across the aisles of the store and the ceiling sagging.
Mayor Jason Reeves talked about the event and revealed the extent of the damage. “In southern Alabama, other than waterspouts near the Gulf Coast, any late summer tornadoes tend to come from tropical cyclones or their remnants”.
Kevin Laws, chief scientist at the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said a survey team traveled to Troy on Friday morning and hopes to determine whether a tornado occurred, and the storm’s size and strength by the end of Friday.
John De Block, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist, said that it was clear a tornado had touched down and caused the damage, but the National Weather Service won’t know what category it was until this afternoon or later. “The weather is unusual”.
“Tornadoes can happen every month in Alabama”, said De Block.
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Wal-Mart spokesman Brian Nick said emergency and company officials are assessing the damage to determine what works needs to be done.
