Multiple confirmed tornadoes touched down in Alabama and thousands were without power on Thursday after severe weather warnings were issued across the state, according to authorities
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time, the Pelham Police Department posted on Twitter a warning that residents should “TAKE COVER NOW.”
Pelham Police later announced that a tornado had caused “extensive” damage to the Crosscreek subdivision south of Birmingham, and shared images of downed power lines and a home with a mostly destroyed roof.
Pelham Police Officer Ainsley Allison took to Facebook Live to urge local residents to stay off the roads so emergency response vehicles could access the damaged neighborhoods.
Drone footage from AerialScouts, LLC, also showed extensive damage in Pelham.
Approximately 16,000 customers were without power as of Thursday afternoon, according to a count by NBC News.
According to NBC News affiliate WVTM, extensive damage was reported in the Eagle Point area of Birmingham.
Tornado watches were first issued Thursday morning for dozens of Alabama counties, WVTM reported, and multiple tornado warnings remain in effect for several counties in northern and central Alabama as of Thursday afternoon.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Please check back again for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
