Photographer: WPTV
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 01/23/2012
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Searchers in the Birmingham area were going from house-to-house early Monday in an effort to rescue people trapped in their homes after storms moved across the Midwest and South, prompting tornado warnings in a handful of states.
Fire crews were starting the search in Center Point, north of Birmingham, where there were reports of an unknown number of people trapped, Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Duty Manager Bob Ammons said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Rescuers would do "whatever it takes" to get to the residents, Ammons told The Associated Press before dawn Monday.
In Clanton, about 50 miles south of Birmingham, rescuers were responding to reports of a trailer turned over with people trapped, City Clerk Debbie Orange said.
In Arkansas, there were possible tornadoes in Arkansas, Dallas, Lonoke, Prairie and Cleveland counties Sunday night. The storms also brought hail and strong winds as they moved through parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and Mississippi.
Tornado warnings were issued for parts of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama early Monday.
National Weather Service forecaster Marlene Mickelson in Memphis, Tenn., told The Associated Press the Memphis area had some damage from winds that reached 60 to 70 mph.
---------------------------------
Texas Storm Chasers tweeted, "Complete destruction, no houses left standing in Paradise Valley in Jefferson County."
To follow storm chasers LIVE right now, go to http://www.tornadoalleylive.com/
Here are some photos of damage in the Birmingham Metro Area: http://twitpic.com/8apcys
Watch LIVE Stream here:
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Featured Stories
Hundreds of retailers and restaurants offer Memorial Day discounts to veterans, active duty and retired U.S. military, National Guard and reservists.
Steve Weagle begins his 13th annual ride on Monday. Follow along, get updates and watch live video here.
Take a look at the foods that you not only want to eat, but will actually help you on your weight loss journey.
Latest Weather Headlines
Have an iPhone or iPad? Now you can get our interactive radar on your Apple device. Click for more info or search "WPTV" in the App Store.