From coast to coast, severe weather continues to wreak havoc this December. Earthquakes seem to be on the rise, for one, with several detected off the coast of Alaska (including a mega 5.0 magnitude tremor) and more than 10 instances of the event in South Carolina since November. And although the three months of terror in Spain ended with its volcano finally going dormant, much of the US still has concerns over the seemingly increasing number of tornadoes. The most recent state to be a victim of such? Alabama.
Last night, a tornado ravaged the city of Winfield. Marion County Emergency Management reported significant damage from the powerful storm including downed power lines, trees, and even buildings.
No Fatalities Reported From the Storm but the Damage is Extensive
One citizen took to Twitter to share their photos of various damage they spotted. The tweet shows roofs peeled off of buildings like a tin can and downed power lines mixed with the rain, which can obviously become a fatal situation quickly.
You can view them here:
Heavy damage in Winfield… @spann @abc3340 @NWSBirmingham pic.twitter.com/L0ql4QJcBC
— Derick Stidham (@stidway) December 30, 2021
PowerOutage.US estimated that over 6,000 customers (mainly in the northern part of the state) were without electricity following the storm’s destruction. Several citizens report hearing the tornado and compare it to the sound of a freight train ripping through their neighborhoods. The only silver lining seems to be that, so far, no reported fatalities have come out of Alabama.
A tornado is also thought to have ravaged through parts of Georgia, but that has yet to gain any confirmation. Meteorologists from several National Weather Service offices are working diligently to piece together their data and reports. In addition to Georgia and Alabama, the severe weather affected at least four other states.
Crews are Diligently Trying to Clean Up the Area in the Storm’s Aftermath
Another local reporter shared a video from the scene which shows whole pieces of buildings strewn about the roads. She reports that crews are hard at work trying to clear the roads from all the branches and debris.
You can watch the full clip here:
Crews are working hard to clean up damage downtown in Winfield after a tornado touched down right before 7pm. @abc3340 @spann pic.twitter.com/vU4WKFJdd7
— Valerie Bell (@vbell_reports) December 30, 2021
While no fatalities have been reported, missing pets continue to be an issue as we’ve seen in other parts of the country. Following the tornadoes in Kentucky, for example, hundreds of animals ended up on the street or in various animal shelters.
One man decided to put his drone to good use and has been helping reunite folks with their beloved furry friends. You can read the heartwarming story here.
