The tornado left a swath of destruction 10 miles long in the suburbs north of Birmingham. Author: Associated Press Updated: 12:43 PM EST January 26, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala A teenager sheltering in his basement was killed and several family members were critically injured when a tornado blew a tree onto their home in Alabama, police said Tuesday.
The twister injured at least 30 people overall as it carved a 10-mile (16 kilometer) path of destruction Monday night in the northern suburbs of Birmingham. It struck an area severely harmed by a much larger tornado a decade ago.
Pieces of buildings, furniture, appliances and trees were strewn about and vehicles ended up in awkward positions, as if a child had scattered a collection of Matchbox cars. One car landed upside down against some tree branches on a large pile of debris.
Tornado tears through Birmingham, killing a teenager and hospitalizing 17 others
By: The Associated Press & Scripps National
Posted at 6:23 AM, Jan 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-26 11:00:40-05
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. â Officials say a tornado killed a teenager who was huddling with his family in the basement of their Alabama home Monday night.
The storm blew down a tree near the house that collapsed the structure.
Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith says several other family members were critically injured.
The tornado left a swath of destruction in the Jefferson County city north of Birmingham.
Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie says 17 people have been hospitalized and 11 others were treated on scene.
Emergency crews continue to remove debris and conduct additional search and rescue efforts after a tornado ripped through a suburban area north of Birmingham, Ala., leaving at least one dead and dozens more injured.
Survey crews assessing the storm damage found that preliminary estimates indicate the tornado was at least a high-end EF-2 tornado, with winds up to 135 miles per hour, the National Weather Service in Birmingham said Tuesday afternoon.
Hours earlier NWS Birmingham described the tornado as “large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly” in an alert just before 11 p.m. Monday.
Photos and video posted to social media show just how widespread the damage is: once-wooded areas along streets were nearly entirely razed, leaving behind jagged trees, twisted metal and homes damaged to the point of being uninhabitable.
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FULTONDALE, Ala. A terrifying nighttime tornado that blasted through suburban Birmingham, trapping entire families in the remnants of shattered homes and killing a teenager sheltering in his basement, left a trail of destruction Tuesday that stunned even longtime residents used to Alabama’s violent weather.
Tim Herring, who survived the twister by huddling in a bathtub with wife Patti Herring as roaring winds ripped off the roof of their house and splintered walls, had followed weather forecasts during the day and didn’t expect the worst until it happened late Monday.
“I’ve lived here 64 years. I wasn’t too worried,” he said. Herring added: “I’ve helped folks after tornadoes. This time, it’s us.”