The National Weather Service (NWS) received numerous reports of damage after a storm system packing strong winds, heavy rains and hail passed through central Alabama Thursday afternoon and into the evening hours.
In Leeds, a tree fell onto a mobile home near Cedar Avenue. A person was trapped, and first responders arrived on the scene to rescue the person. There is no word on their condition. Also in Leeds, Highway 25 was blocked by downed trees. The NWS said the damage was caused by a radar-confirmed tornado.
Shelby County had a possible tornado, causing damage to a home after a tree fell. There was also possible tornado damage near Lake Purdy and at least one roadway was blocked by downed trees. Large trees were uprooted in the Greystone area.
Strong winds blew over several 18-wheelers traveling on Interstate 22, in Jefferson County. The same storm snapped trees along Highway 5. In Fairfield, the canopy of a BP gas station was blown down. No injuries were reported. There was also a tree down on a home in Hueytown.
In Northport, in Tuscaloosa County, the football field scoreboard was damaged at Northside High School.
Northside High football scoreboard. pic.twitter.com/C1GG4vkppv
— Northside Rams Football (@northsideramsfb) February 17, 2022
In Lamar County, a barn roof was damaged after a possible tornado, according to reports from the NWS.
In Greene County, a home was damaged by a fallen tree. Power lines and trees were also downed in other parts of the county.
Structural damage and trees in the roadway were reported in the Boley Springs community of Fayette County.
In the town of Cedar Bluff, in Cherokee County, a vehicle struck a tree in the roadway but no injuries were reported.
Flooding was reported across central Alabama as well. The NWS reminded drivers to not attempt to drive through floodwaters, as only a few inches of rain can lift a vehicle.
Now Jacksonville, AL@spann pic.twitter.com/OXq7xv4CDN
— Hayden Trent Scogin (@ScoHay) February 18, 2022
Alabama Power responded Thursday after more than 25,000 customers lost service. You can view the outage map by clicking here.
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