A giant, swirling storm system billowing across the South spurred a tornado on Thursday that shredded the walls of homes, toppled roofs and uprooted trees in Selma, Alabama, a city etched in the history of the civil rights movement.
In Autauga County, Alabama, which is 41 miles (66 kilometres) northeast of Selma, officials estimate that 40 to 50 homes were damaged or destroyed by storms that cut a strip across the county, said Ernie Baggett, the county's emergency management director. He said crews were focused Thursday evening on cutting through downed trees to look for people who may be injured.
"Search and rescue is really more what's going on right now," Baggett said by telephone.
In Selma, brick buildings collapsed, cars were on their side and traffic poles were strewn about in the downtown area. Plumes of thick, black smoke rose over the city from a fire burning. It was not immediately known whether the storm caused the blaze.
A few blocks past the city's famed Edmund Pettus Bridge, an enduring symbol of the voting rights movement, buildings were crumpled by the storm and trees blocked roadways.
Selma Mayor James Perkins said that no fatalities have been reported at this time, but first responders are continuing to assess the damage.
"People have been injured, but no fatalities," Perkins said. "We have a lot of downed power lines. There is a lot of danger on the streets."
A city curfew is being put into place, the mayor added.
The "large and extremely dangerous tornado" caused damage as it moved through the historic city, the National Weather Service said. There were confirmed reports of tree and structural damage in Selma and reports of damage in other counties, the agency said.
Nationwide, there were 33 separate tornado reports Thursday from the National Weather Service as of Thursday evening, with a handful of tornado warnings still in effect in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. However, the reports were not yet confirmed and some of them could later be classified as wind damage after assessments are done in coming days.
In Alabama, there is damage "all over Selma," former state Sen. Hank Sanders said he has been told.
"A tornado has definitely damaged Selma. In fact, it hit our house, but not head-on. It blew out windows in the bedroom and in the living room. It is raining through the roof in the kitchen," Sanders said.
Selma, a city of about 18,000 residents, is about 50 miles (80 kilometres) west of the Alabama capital city of Montgomery.
Selma was a flashpoint of the civil rights movement. Alabama state troopers viciously attacked Black people advocating for voting rights as they marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965. Among those beaten by law enforcement officers was John Lewis, whose skull was fractured. He went on to a long and distinguished career as a U.S. congressman.
After the tornado passed, Krishun Moore emerged from her home to the sound of children crying and screaming. She and her mother encouraged the kids to keep screaming until they found the two of them on top of the roof of a damaged apartment. She estimated the kids were about one and four years old. Both of them are OK, she said through Facebook messenger.
Malesha McVay drove parallel to the tornado with her family. She said it got less than a mile from her home before suddenly turning.
"We stopped and we prayed. We followed it and prayed," she said. "It was a 100 per cent. God thing that it turned right before it hit my house."
She took video of the giant twister, which would turn black as it swept away home after home.
"It would hit a house, and black smoke would swirl up," she said. "It was very terrifying."
The weather service had issued a tornado emergency for several counties just north of the capital city of Montgomery as the same storm system moved eastward. "This is a life-threatening situation. Take shelter immediately," the weather service said of the reported tornado.
There were multiple tornado warnings issued Thursday in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee as the storm system moved through the region.
More than 50,000 customers were without power in Alabama, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
In Georgia, more than 100,000 customers were without electricity just before sunset Thursday as the storm system carved a path across a tier of counties just south of Atlanta, according to PowerOutage.us.
The storm hit in Griffin, south of Atlanta, with winds damaging a shopping area, local news outlets reported. A Hobby Lobby store partially lost its roof, and at least one car was flipped in the parking lot of a nearby Walmart.
Damage was also reported west of downtown Atlanta in Douglas County and Cobb County, with Cobb County government posting a damage report showing a crumbled cinder block wall at a warehouse in suburban Austell.
In Kentucky, the National Weather Service in Louisville confirmed that an EF-1 tornado struck Mercer County and said crews were surveying damage in a handful of other counties. There were reports of downed trees, power outages and other scattered damage from storms that moved through the state.
Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
French actor Gérard Depardieu has been taken into police custody in Paris to face questioning, his lawyer told CNN Monday.
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.
Toronto police say they will be providing an update Monday morning on a 'major' identity fraud investigation.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's governing party, stung by an extensive slush funds scandal, appeared to have lost all three seats in Sunday's parliamentary byelections, according to media exit polls and preliminary results.
A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a container ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route.
A dam collapsed in western Kenya early Monday, killing at least 40 people after a wall of water swept through houses and cut off a major road, police said.
A teenage gunman wounded 10 people when he opened fire early Sunday after fighting broke out during a private event at a Florida party venue, authorities said.
The World Central Kitchen plans to resume operations in the Gaza Strip Monday, four weeks after Israeli airstrikes killed seven of its aid workers including one Canadian.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday described domestic violence as a 'national crisis' after thousands rallied around the country against violence toward women.
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Corporate boardrooms. Military barracks. Federal government offices. They're not locales with a reputation for fostering diversity. Anita Anand has been trying to change that.
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
French actor Gérard Depardieu has been taken into police custody in Paris to face questioning, his lawyer told CNN Monday.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Quebec singing star and cultural icon Jean-Pierre Ferland died on Saturday at the age of 89.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
Employees increasingly find that robust workplace volunteer programs meet their desires for in-person connections, professional growth and altruistically inclined employers — career objectives that might be missing in conventional corporate atmospheres.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced on social media that her career was over on Sunday after 16 seasons.
On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
Dozens of people gathered to mourn at the waterfront promenade in White Rock Sunday, where 27-year-old Kulwinder Sohi was stabbed to death last week.
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The union representing thousands of transit workers in Toronto says its members have voted “overwhelmingly in support” of a strike mandate.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
The massive public hearing on a controversial rezoning strategy resumes at city hall Monday morning.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
About 300 people laced up their runners and tackled the McHugh Bluff staircase to help bring an end to homelessness in Calgary.
A report for the city's finance and corporate services committee recommends the city implement an administrative penalty system for adjudicating parking and camera-based offences, with municipally appointed hearing officers adjudicating ticket disputes instead of the provincial courts system.
A person was killed after a single-vehicle collision in Ottawa's south end on Sunday night.
Temperatures are expected to climb past the 20 C degree mark in Ottawa during the first week of May.
McGill University says the growing encampment on its lower field in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza violates its policies.
Over the past year, the rise in the cost of living has been most brutal for those with lower income, according to a new report.
Quebec solidaire spokesperson Emilise Lessard-Therrien is stepping down, saying she is completely exhausted.
The Edmonton Oilers' offence wasn’t rolling Sunday night, but head coach Kris Knoblauch felt just fine knowing his goalie would get them to the finish line.
A portion of Stony Plain Road will be closed between 131 Street and 139 Street beginning at 7 a.m. on April 29.
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
Police in Halifax say they are investigating a stabbing that sent a man to hospital early Monday morning.
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to begin on Monday.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
The Jets will look to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre.
Saskatchewan has brought in resources early to prepare for this year's fire season. A drier than normal summer is forecast with eleven fires currently active.
Canada's National Day of Mourning on April 28 is dedicated to those who have been injured or lost their lives due to workplace tragedy.
The Regina Rebels made history over the weekend — taking home gold for the first time ever at the U-18 women's hockey national championships.
Some Brant County residents were temporarily moved while emergency responders dealt with a chemical leak near the Brantford Municipal Airport.
Waterloo regional police are investigating after they found a man unconscious in a Kitchener parking lot with serious injuries.
The driver of an e-bike was taken to hospital after a crash involving a Toyota pick-up truck in Kitchener.
Saskatoon’s public school board says that despite “record” funding from the province this year, the ministry’s allocation to the division doesn’t make the grade.
Saskatchewan has brought in resources early to prepare for this year's fire season. A drier than normal summer is forecast with eleven fires currently active.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
A northern Ontario beekeeper is sounding the alarm after discovering most of her bees had died earlier this year.
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Sarnia and Lambton County can expect areas of dense fog, including portions of Highway 402. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero and travel could be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The London Knights have taken a 2-0 series lead on the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Final after a 3-1 win Sunday. The 10-0 start to the playoffs is the best in franchise history during the internet era.
Joining forces with the Canadian Armed Forces and regional first responders for a training exercise, Wasaga Beach will offer a public open house May 4 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hospitals in the region have joined forces to host a job fair aimed at recruiting healthcare professionals.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
A portion of Dougall Avenue has reopened to traffic following a crash. Around 8:45 p.m., police posted to social media that the southbound lanes of Dougall were closed from South Cameron to the Expressway westbound on ramp.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Since 2014, the Rotary Club of LaSalle Centennial has been holding its annual Big Hats and High Tea Social. The fundraising event returned Sunday at the Essex Golf and Country Club.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
Parts of northeastern Ontario are under a freezing rain warning Monday morning as wet conditions continue across the region.
Greater Sudbury marked the Day of Mourning with ceremony at Laurentian University on Sunday to honour lives lost in workplace accidents and occupational illnesses.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake says it is moving towards “normalcy” by transitioning to a mask-friendly policy.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
