Tornadoes, Severe Storms Slam Southeast

Large tornado on the ground near Selma,
Alabama today. Photo via Twitter,
@wsfa12news

 Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms over-performed in the southeastern United States this afternoon, causing some pretty intense destruction in some communities, especially in Alabama. 

One especially strong, long lasting tornado roared across central Alabama in the late morning and early afternoon.

The historic city of Selma, Alabama was hit particularly hard, with widespread damage reported on the northern part of downtown and across much of the western part of town, AL.com reported. 

A storm chaser in Selma said the damage path was up to a mile wide.

Reports are just coming in, and the scene was still chaotic as of this mid-afternoon, so we don't have news of any deaths or injuries. 

Television station WSFA was reporting at least one person trapped in debris and another person possibly missing. Residents of Selma were told to stay home and avoid the damage area.

Video and photos on social media showed numerous houses in and around Selma without roofs, collapsed buildings, and what appears to be an out of control fire. Other video showed a large tornado moving through the area. 

The tornado was well-warned, as the National Weather Service office in Birmingham, Alabama warned residents to take cover in advance of the "confirmed, large and destructive tornado."

The supercell responsible for the main tornado moved into western Georgia before 4 p.m.,prompting additional tornado warnings, along with the threat of ferocious straight-line winds and large hail. 

Another radar-confirmed tornado was sweeping through parts of Atlanta, Georgia shortly before 4 p.m. today. 

Other possible tornadoes were reported in Mississippi and Kentucky.  Baseball sized hail struck parts of western Kentucky in the pre-dawn hours. 

Before 4 p.m. tornado watches were extended eastward to cover much of Georgia and northwestern Florida.  

Severe tornado damage in Selma, Alabama. Photo by 
Marissa Giles, via Twitter @Spann

The severe weather was more extensive than forecasts from a few days earlier suggested. But the right conditions came together to unleash the dangerous storms.

Tornado outbreaks do sometimes occur in the Gulf Coast states and Southeast during the middle of winter. They are close to a key ingredient for severe weather - very warm and very wet air from the Gulf of Mexico.

If a dynamic winter storm passes by to the north and west, it will pull that toasty, humid air into the Southeast. Then, as the parent storm's cold front approaches, changes in wind speed and direction can create supercells and tornadoes.  

The parent storm's cold front will exit the southeastern coast later tonight and tomorrow morning, and that will end the tornado threat in this region.