A 67-year-old man is dead in Alabama after being trapped under a trailer that was flipped over during severe storms overnight in the Hartselle area, the Morgan County Emergency Management Agency told AL.com.
First responders were able to rescue the man and transport him to the hospital where he later died, according to the MCEMA. His name has not been released.
The storm system also is blamed for leaving at least 23 dead in Mississippi. State officials say that number could rise.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado caused damage about 60 miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork were reporting destruction as the tornado continued sweeping northeast at 70 mph towards Alabama through towns including Winona and Amory into the night.
There were at least two dozen tornado reports Friday across Mississippi and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.
The storm cut through the northern part of Alabama with confirmed tornado sightings in Lauderdale County, Marion, Moulton and Hebron. Huntsville Hospital was also reportedly damaged.
Morgan County was hit hard by the storm. Trees and power lines are down in parts of the county and there are reports of structural damage to homes and businesses.
“At this point, our focus is doing a damage assessment. Cleanup is what we’re trying to do at this point and staying safe in that process,” MCEMA spokesperson said Saturday.
According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, mostly homes have been impacted with “trees down on homes, driveways, roadways and power lines.”
Power has been out in parts of the county since midnight. Over 20,000 customers are reportedly without power in Alabama.
“Utility crews are doing a good job. It’s just a long, long path of damage,” said Mike Swafford, Morgan County sheriff’s spokesman.
The Morgan County Sherriff’s Office reported at around 1 a.m. this morning that six to seven people were trapped in a group home in the 1500 Block of Hwy 31 in Hartselle, next to Cullman Hospital Healthpark, due to downed trees and power lines. Two hours later, law enforcement reported that everyone was safe.
Deputies and other responders are going door to door to check on residents in the most affected areas this morning.
The brunt of destruction occurred between Danville and Hartselle, as well as in the Morgan City area on the way out of Morgan County, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office is asking residents to proceed with caution when they leave their house, report any blockages to roadways and to only call 911 in the event of an emergency.
“The 911 line is getting bombarded so please call the non-emergency line if it’s not an emergency,” said Swafford.
In Mississippi, the state’s emergency management agency confirmed this morning that there are 23 people dead, dozens injured and four missing due to last night’s tornadoes.
The storm razed buildings, knocked down power lines and left a trail of debris that first respondents say left the town of Rolling Fork “unrecognizable.”
“Houses [were] completely demolished, businesses demolished … pretty much most of the town is unrecognizable right now,” Baeley Williams, one of the first responders in Rolling Fork, told AccuWeather.
Numerous local and state search and rescue teams are out working this morning to assist those on the ground who were impacted, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
To help those impacted by the storm, donations can be made to the Mississippi and Alabama chapter of the Red Cross, found here.
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