Alabama Tornado Kills Teenager and Injures Dozens: ‘It’s Devastating’

tornado
Hayden Mahan via AP, File
Amy Furr

A teenager was killed and multiple people were injured Monday when a tornado tore through an area north of Birmingham, Alabama.

“Multiple buildings, including a high school, a motel and dozens of homes, were severely damaged when the tornado struck Fultondale, Alabama, about 10:40 p.m. CST Monday night,” the Weather Channel reported.

The victim was trapped in his home’s basement where his family took shelter as the storm passed overhead, said Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith.

It appeared a tree fell on the home which caused the house to collapse, and Smith added that some of the family members sustained serious injuries.

“The teenager killed was a 14-year-old student in the ninth grade, according to Jefferson County Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin,” CBS News reported.

Authorities said at least 30 additional people were injured during the storm.

Footage of the aftermath shows piles of debris and an upside down vehicle:

Photos show the damage at Fultondale High School:

During a press conference, Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight said the storm hit with little warning, AL.com reported.

“It’s devastating,” he commented, and continued:

We are going to have to get some kind of shelter for some of these people because their houses are so ruined that they really have no place to go. It’s very tough to go and see them sitting on their front porch and the look on their face because many of them are still in shock….We’re going to get through this; it’s going to take a while.

Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb told people to avoid the storm-damaged areas, adding, “We want to search every house and make sure no one is trapped, maybe not necessarily injured but just not able to get out.”

Reporter Kristen Fiscus shared additional photos of the storm-ravaged area:

Meanwhile, a major snowstorm hit areas in the central and northeastern parts of the country, according to USA Today.

“Weather service meteorologist Taylor Nicolaisen said 10 to 15 inches of snow was likely between York, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa, by the time the storm wraps up later Tuesday,” the article concluded.

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