Huntsville, Alabama Tornado: Reported Twister Destroys Several Homes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A reported tornado destroyed several houses in northern Alabama as storms threatened more twisters across the region Friday, two days after a storm system killed 13 people in the Midwest and South.

There was no immediate word on any injuries from local emergency officials. But the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Office says ambulances are responding to neighborhoods near Huntsville.

Madison County emergency managers said in a statement that several houses were "leveled" in one neighborhood in the Walker Lane area.

WAFF-TV aired video of crushed homes outside Huntsville. The station also reported that storms caused extensive damage in the small community of Meridianville, where people were trapped in cars.

Forecasters warned of severe thunderstorms with the threat of tornadoes crossing a region from southern Ohio through much of Kentucky into Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

Thousands of Alabama schoolchildren were getting out of class early Friday because the threat of tornadoes and other severe weather across the northern half of the state.

More than 20 school systems say they are dismissing classes early Friday because of the possibility of severe storms. Otherwise, the bad weather could hit around the time schools normally dismiss for the day, based on predictions from the National Weather Service.

Comments

[whyworry]

05:09 PM on 03/03/2012

The media did an excellent job forecasting the tornados. The alarm was raised in plenty of time for people to act and be prepared to exit to areas of safety. I watched videos of people driving on the interstate with a tornado hovering. Makes me wonder...why some people don't pay attention to the weather forecast. I have one problem...why do schools decide to allow children to report to school knowing full well that they will be dismissed early.

This places too many people in danger. 1. The children, then the parents. 2. When schools are dismissed at the same time it causes traffic congestions and no one is safe then...example...Indiana.

[aleighcat]

02:50 PM on 03/02/2012

My son is stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. When I called him earlier today, the sirens were going off like crazy everywhere.....I was so frightened. Living through the Xenia, Ohio tornado back in 1974 (F5), the sounds of a tornado siren going off still terrifies me. It's awful, knowing your only child and his family are in harm's way and hearing the panic that ensues, and not being able to do a thing about it. My prayers are with all of those affected, I hope that everyone is okay. I'm sure they were reliving the terror of last year's outbreak. I was actually shocked that my call to him went through, even though it was static-y. I know that it's par for the course every year, living in "tornado alley", but you still don't ever get used to it.

[bdazz]

05:56 PM on 03/02/2012

I hope everything is OK with your son and his family...how terrifying. These storms are not to be taken lightly...The Xenia tornado I remember reading about...what was that like for you? When I was a kid I lived through a night of twisters and I can still remember the air..the sounds..and the smell of it. It stays with you forever.

[aleighcat]

10:09 AM on 03/05/2012

Thank you....I'm grateful to say that they were spared, but it was too close for comfort. Last year one touched down (briefly) only a few streets over from their home. The Xenia tornado .......there are no words to even describe the terror, it was massive. I was just 9 at the time, and if memory serves me correctly, I think I heard it said that is was about 5 *miles* wide at the top. We had minimal damage as it missed us, but a lot of the town was completely wiped out. One of my Aunt's neighbors died from a 2x4 through the stomach. There were blades of *grass* sticking straight out from trees (the few left standing), so you can just imagine the force of the wind. It puzzles me how it could be strong enough to imbed the grass without the tree toppling/snapping from the wind force. It makes no sense to me. It tore the roof off of my Aunt's house, yet they found a poster from my cousin's room in the living room without the first tear in it. Weird. I remember the yellow-green sky, the hail, the sounds, and seeing this *MASSIVE* thing moving so fast and destroying everything. My heart goes out to anyone having to ever witness/be a victim of a tornado.

[notdarkyet]

10:05 AM on 03/03/2012

I've been to the redstone arsenal. My daughter also lives in HUntsville and I cannot get through. Worried.