ALICEVILLE, Ala. – A large tornado reported in rural western Alabama left a trail of damage Tuesday evening as powerful storms moved into the state.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham reported a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” on the ground near the city of Aliceville, about 45 miles west of Tuscaloosa.
“We have trees down along with live power lines. We’ve had some houses hit and minor injuries reported,” said Belinda Tilley, Aliceville’s emergency 911 director, after the tornado warning had passed. “And that’s all we have.”
But the threat of bad weather remained Tuesday evening for much of Alabama.
The National Weather Service said portions of northern and western Alabama including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and much of the Tennessee Valley would be at an elevated risk for tornadoes and damaging winds until early Wednesday morning. Forecasters said winds blowing up to 60 mph were possible.
The weather service predicted a reduced chance of strong storms in southern and southeastern Alabama.
The nasty weather was linked to a system reaching from the Gulf Coast nearly to the Great Lakes.