At least six dead as tornadoes rip through Southern states

At leave six people have died after multiple tornadoes swept through Southern states on Thursday, hitting Alabama particularly hard.

Calhoun County, Ala., Sheriff Matthew Wade told The Hill at least five deaths occurred in his state. Four of the deaths occurred in Ohatchee, and the fifth was recorded in Wellington.

Police in Florence, Ala., also reported that an officer was struck by lightning while putting out barricades. The officer was transported to a medical center to receive care.

In Coweta County, Ga., Fire Chief Pat Wilson confirmed that one person died Thursday evening following the severe weather, according to video published by local news outlet 11alive.com.

Wilson did not identify the person or confirm any of the details surrounding the death.

The Associated Press reported that a tornado had swept through the Coweta County around midnight on Friday.

CNN reported Friday that there were 22 tornado reports across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi and that at least 10 million people were under tornado watch early Friday morning.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) declared a state of emergency for 28 of the state’s 67 counties.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, the Coweta County School System closed both in-person and virtual classes on Friday due to damage from the storms.

Coweta Schools will be closed for staff and students on Friday, March 26, due to damage from Thursday night’s storms. Both in-person and virtual classes are cancelled.

— Coweta Schools (@CowetaSchools) March 26, 2021

The city of Newnan, which is in Coweta County, said on Twitter Friday morning that it experienced “heavy damage” in and around its historic area.

ALERT: The city experienced heavy damage in and around the historic downtown area due to tonight’s weather. Please note that both the city and county crews are in route and working on scene to clear impacted areas. Please remain safe in your homes and take shelter. Stay safe!

— City of Newnan, GA (@cityofnewnanga) March 26, 2021

For parts of the region, it was the second time in eight days residents were threatened by tornadoes, more than 50 of which were reported in Alabama and Mississippi last week.