Severe weather is pummeling central Alabama as a series of strong storms moves through that could produce damaging winds, including tornadoes and hail until early tomorrow.
Gary Goggins is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham. He said the storms are making their way east and Alabamians need to be prepared.
“These are going to be expanding in coverage into the late afternoon into the evening and these storms are going to be pretty dangerous. With a chance of violent long-track tornadoes, heavy wind gusts up to 80mph, very large hail with these storms,” he said.
Tornado warnings sounded in Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Dallas, Greene, Marengo, and Coosa counties, among others. That includes two tornadic storms over the city of Tuscaloosa at the same time. Goggins said the ingredients are there for a rough night of dangerous storms.
“It could be an outbreak of severe weather in terms of multiple severe storms, ongoing at one time. The main thing is for people to make sure they’re prepared for is multiple ways to receive a warning so they can take action because those few moments that you may have to get to your safe place may make all the difference,” he said.
Goggins said people need to have a storm plan in place and be ready to follow it. The severe weather threat is expected to last throughout the evening in the early morning hours. Schools and businesses closed early in preparation of the storms.
