‘Extremely dangerous’ tornado, thunderstorm kill 6 in Alabama, Georgia; state of emergency declared

At least six people were killed and several others injured after an "extremely dangerous"tornado rocked the southern United States on Thursday. Alabama and Georgia declared a state of emergency in light of a severe weather outbreak. The deadly tornado ripped through homes, toppling roofs, and uprooting trees in Selma, Alabama.

People in Selma have been advised to seek shelter and stay off the local roads. There have also been reports of downed power lines all across the area. Urging the residents to call 911 to report damages, The City of Selma said, "We are asking everyone to stay calm and stay in place until further notice."

Selma and its surrounding areas saw some of the worst damage, with National Weather Service (NWS) callingthe tornado "large and extremely dangerous.” NWS meteorologist Gerald Satterwhite estimated thatthe twister lasted on the ground for approximately 80 kilometres and damaged seven counties throughout the state, CNN reported. “It was a pretty significant tornado” with “debris lofted in the air to about 10,000 to 15,000 feet,” Satterwhite said.

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An Autauga County Sheriff's spokeswoman confirmed the number of deceased but didn’t share any other information, Reuters reported.According to Coroner Buster Barber, at least four people died from flying debris during the tornado.

"I am sad to have learned that six Alabamians were lost to the storms that ravaged across our state. My prayers are with their loved ones and communities. We are far too familiar with devastating weather, but our people are resilient. We will get through it and be stronger for it," Alabama Governor Kay Iveytweeted.

"The best we can tell is about 40 homes have major damage or have been completely destroyed," weather.com quoted Emergency Management Director Ernie Baggett, as saying.

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Following the storms, six counties in Alabama, including Autauga County, saw Governor Ivey Kay issue an emergency declaration. Additionally included in the declaration were the counties of Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, and Tallapoosa.

"We have already seen parts of the state rattled by this severe weather system, which is why I have issued a state of emergency," Alabama Gov. KayIvey said in a tweet.

Nearly 34 tornadoes hit the US, with 58 counties in California being declared as disaster areas, Governor Gavin Newsom said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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