13 January 2023 , 02:36
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At least seven people have been killed after storms and tornadoes ripped through several US states.
The fiercest storm system struck central Alabama on Thursday, spawning a tornado that devastated everything in its path and reduced many homes to ruins.
Six fatalities were confirmed by Ernie Baggett, the emergency management director in the state's Autauga County.
"It seems to have been a couple of different houses where people were at home,” Baggett told the Associated Press.
He said at least 12 people had suffered severe injuries and required hospital treatment.
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A five-year-old was also killed in Butts County, Georgia, with County Coroner Lacey Prue saying the youngster was crushed by a tree “possibly due to the tornado".
An estimated 40 to 50 homes were damaged or destroyed by the storms, with fire crews called upon to deal with the many downed trees across the region.
“Search and rescue is really more what’s going on right now,” Baggett added.
Many homes were reduced to rubble by the storms (Vasha Hunt/AP/REX/Shutterstock)A total of 33 tornadoes were reported by the US National Weather Service as of Thursday evening, with warnings still in place across Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The nearby city of Selma, Alabama was also struck by the storms, with mayor James Perkins Jr announcing a curfew on Thursday afternoon in an attempt to keep people protected from the elements.
Many cars were thrown upside down by the strength of the winds (Vasha Hunt/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“If you don’t need to be out, don’t go out,” Perkins said.
“What the probate judge (Jimmy Nunn) has said is true. We have a lot of downed power lines, there’s a lot of danger on the streets, and we need to make sure that you remain safe. So far, we have had no fatalities. People have been injured, but there are no fatalities.
“We are very diligent, very deliberate about how we’re approaching this. We’re asking you, the public, to stay at home this evening (and) allow these emergency responders to get the work done.”
Many have been left without shelter after homes were ripped apart (DAN ANDERSON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Tree and structural damage were reported in Selma, along with upturned cars and traffic poles scattered across the streets in the downtown area.
Former Alabama Senator Hank Sanders told the Associated Press that the tornado "blew out" the windows of his own home in Selma.
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“A tornado has definitely damaged Selma. In fact, it hit our house, but not head-on," he said.
"It blew out windows in the bedroom and in the living room. It is raining through the roof in the kitchen."
Search and rescue crews are continuing to scour the rubble for survivors (Butch Dill/AP/REX/Shutterstock)One man told US outlet WVTM that he was in his car when the storm struck Selma and was forced to climb out of the passenger window when the vehicle was showered with debris.
"I thought it was all over for me,” he said.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, said in a statement that it had received "a lot of devastating reports of damage".
More than 50,000 people across Alabama were reported to be without power, in addition to more than 100,000 in Georgia.