ACTION 8 UPDATE: Storm deaths reported in Alabama, including in Plantersville

ACTION 8 UPDATE: At least two deaths have been reported in Alabama after yesterday’s severe weather, including in our area.

Gov. Kay Ivey said this morning that deaths have been reported in Plantersville, which is in Dallas County, and in Winterboro, which is in Talladega County. She said there was one death in each location.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-3 tornado hit Plantersville..

“Yesterday’s severe weather impacted most of Alabama. Unfortunately, we have learned of the loss of at least two of our fellow Alabamians — one life in Plantersville and one in Winterboro. We have reports of damage in 52 of our 67 counties. Our damage assessment continues. The sun has risen in Alabama, though. We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured. And we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now,” Gov. Ivey said.

Dallas County Sheriff Mike Granthum has since said that there was a second death in Plantersville, which would bring the statewide death total to three.

The National Weather Service Office in Birmingham said this morning that it will be sending out three teams to survey damage to confirm whether it was caused by a confirmed tornado. The National Weather Service said that it has 15-17 locations to examine, which may take a few days.

The blue areas on this map show storm damage tracks in our area. The National Weather Service will be examining these tracks in the coming days to determine whether the damage was caused by confirmed tornadoes. – Photo from the National Weather Service Office in Calera, Alabama

At one point yesterday, workers at the National Weather Service office in Birmingham, which is actually in Calera, in Shelby County south of the city, had to take cover when a storm from Bibb County was headed toward their office. In that situation, they turned over operations temporarily to the National Weather Service in Atlanta, located in Peachtree City, Georgia.