• Alabama and Georgia governors have both declared states of emergency.
• At least six people have been killed by tornadoes in Alabama.
• The bad weather is expected to persist overnight.

At least six people have been killed by tornadoes in Alabama, according to local officials, who said they are “still searching for bodies”.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported over 35 tornadoes throughout the southern United States on Thursday, putting more than 30 million people at risk.

According to the NWS, a “large and extremely deadly tornado” inflicted severe damage in Selma, Alabama.

Thousands of people in four states have lost power as a result of the storms.

According to Poweroutages.us, more than 147,000 people across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas were without power as of Thursday evening.

The bad weather is expected to persist overnight.

All of the documented tornado deaths in Alabama occurred in Autauga County, which is located in the state’s centre between the cities of Montgomery and Selma.

“There have been several deaths and we are still looking for remains,” Autauga County Coroner Buster Barber told CNN.

At 12:53 p.m. CST (18:53 GMT), the NWS office in Birmingham issued a “tornado warning” for Autauga County.
Alabama and Georgia governors have both declared states of emergency.

High winds have also caused significant structural damage to structures in Georgia and Mississippi, according to video released online.

On Twitter, the agency stated: “THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE SHELTER RIGHT AWAY!!”

According to the NWS, radar tracking the storm detected debris that was picked up and blown 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) into the air.

Alabama and Georgia governors have both declared states of emergency.

High winds have also caused significant structural damage to structures in Georgia and Mississippi, according to video released online.

A curfew would be in effect until dawn in Selma, famed for its participation in the US Civil Rights Movement.

There were no fatalities reported in Selma as a result of the storm, although there were multiple injuries.

Temperatures in Alabama are expected to fall below freezing in the following days, with snow anticipated on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, California has been battered by a series of severe storms, resulting in flooding, mudslides, and power outages. As a result of the extreme weather, at least 18 people have died.

Following a brief break on Thursday, forecasters in California predict that further storms will develop on Friday night and over the weekend.

[embedpost slug=”first-us-winter-storm-of-2023-brings-snow-sleet-and-tornado-threat/”]