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BREAKING NEWS: Alabama is rocked by ‘extremely dangerous’ TORNADO as locals report extensive damage and are told ‘this is serious! Take refuge NOW’
An ‘extremely dangerous’ tornado is ripping through Alabama, and residents are told to take shelter immediately as 140 p.m.
National Weather Service officials say they have received dozens of damage reports as the storm continues to move through the state.
They issued a ‘tornado emergency’ warning for Autauga, Coose, Elmore and Chilton counties, adding: This is a life-threatening and extremely dangerous situation! Seek shelter immediately if you are in the path of this storm!!!’
Winds of up to 70 mph are currently battering Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as the storm moves southeast, and thunderstorms are developing.
A tornado can be seen tearing through Alabama as damage is reported across the state.
An immediate warning has been put in place for those within Autauga County to get out as it is a “life-threatening situation.”
National Weather Service officials say they have received dozens of damage reports as the storm continues to move through the state.
In the eye of the tornado, winds reached 140 mph, with the storm moving at 55 mph in affected areas.
The worst of the storms struck between 8 a.m. and noon, with Bibb, Chilton, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Perry under a tornado warning.
It is currently not tornado season, which runs from March to May each year, and there is a higher risk of storms in November and December.
The streets of Morgan County Alabama have been littered with debris and downed power lines, with 10 to 15 people injured in the deadly storms.
Golf ball-sized hail was reported in every county, with downed trees and structural damage littering the state.
Authorities and forecasters warn of the possibility of hours of destruction, with the area battered by rain and wind.
This is a developing story.