1 dead, at least 28 injured after tornado rips Alabama town
FULTONDALE, Ala. (AP) — A teenager huddling in his basement was killed and several of his family members were critically injured when a tornado blew a tree onto their home in Alabama and it collapsed on top of them, police said Tuesday. At least 28 other people were injured as the twister carved a 10-mile (16 kilometers) path of destruction north of Birmingham.
The tornado caused damage from Fultondale to Center Point, striking an area of Alabama that was 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 flung his collection of Matchbox cars into the air. One car landed upside down against some tree branches on a large pile of debris.
In one neighborhood, it was difficult to tell where houses had stood in the tangled wreckage. Children's toys and clothing were scattered around a landscape where every visible structure was damaged or destroyed.
After hearing news reports of a tornado headed their way, Tim and Patti Herring ran to their bathroom. Moments later the tornado struck, ripping away the roof and two sides of their home while the couple huddled in the bathtub.
“I could feel stuff falling down and hitting me, but we’re OK,” Tim Herring said.
Shaken and teary, Patti picked through the debris looking for a missing cat and her late mother's cherished belongings.
Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith said the teen was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday morning, and several of his family members were critically injured in the wreckage, while one escaped harm.
“They were doing what they were supposed to be doing,’′ the chief said.
Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie said 17 people have since been hospitalized and 11...