Storms and Tornadoes Pound South
January 24, 2012
Storms produced at least 25 devastating tornadoes across the South and Midwest from Sunday night through Monday morning, claiming two lives and hurting more than 100 people.
Meteorologists stated that the severe weather was unusual for January, and was more evocative of a springtime condition.
Tornadoes resulting from the system that spread across the Gulf of Mexico through the Great lakes slammed Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee early Monday morning. Major damage was reported in Alabama where two people, 86 years-old Bobby Sims of Alliance and 16 years-old Christina Heichelneck of Clay, lost their lives and more than 100 got injured.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologists on Monday confirmed that an EF-3 tornado, which packs the wind speeds of up to 150 mph, had hit Clay.
The storms brought golf ball-sized hail and winds gust of more than 60 mph wrecked trees, razed neighborhoods and damaged building in several places throughout the region.
As per Accuweather, Arkansas, Cleveland, Crittenden, Dallas, Lonoke and Prairie counties in Arkansas were reported to be hit by tornadoes. Chickasaw and Lauderdale in Mississippi and Dickson in Tennessee were also struck by tornadoes during the night.
In Alabama, Tuscaloosa, a region still recovering from the effects of a severe tornado that caused extensive damaged in April, 2011, was struck by deadly tornadoes. Powerful winds blew off the roof of a house in the Tuscaloosa County. The National Weather Service reported that an EF-2 tornado had struck in the Tuscaloosa County, Ala.
In Jefferson County, Ala., certain areas were struck by tornadoes. As per the local news reports, at least four were killed and several were injured. About 4.00 a.m. ET, a tornado destroyed a number of homes in the Paradise Valley region in Jefferson. The building of an elementary school in close by Center Point was also heavily damaged.
Nearby Clanton, Ala., a tornado was reported to have ruined radio transmission tower as well as the studio at about 8.00 a.m. ET.
Close to 9.00 a.m. ET, several power lines and trees were brought down by strong winds near Millbrook, Ala. Fences and structures of metals were also slashed apart in the area.
As per the Red Cross estimates, greater than 200 homes were destroyed in Alabama and hundreds of others were severely damaged. A state of emergency throughout Alabama was declared by the state government.
By midday Monday, the threat of further powerful storms and devastating tornadoes hitting the region reduced.
