Thunderstorms and one tornado struck central Alabama on Thursday, killing at least six people. In a statement to Reuters, an Autauga County Sheriff’s spokeswoman confirmed that six people had died in the storm. “In the storms that ravaged our state, six Alabamans died. My prayers reach out to their families and communities. Our people are accustomed to devastating weather, but they remain resilient. In a tweet, Gov. Kay Ivey said, “We’ll get through it and be stronger for it.”
Flying debris hurled by the tornado killed at least four people, said Autauga County Coroner Buster Barber. No further information was available from Barber. Alabama governor Ivey declared a state of emergency for six counties hit hardest by the storm: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, and Tallapoosa. Parts of Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama were hit by high winds and heavy rain, which damaged homes and left thousands without power.