A series of deadly tornadoes moved from east to west through the southern US state, leaving a path of destruction. Forecasters have predicted continued dangerous weather conditions.
Many Alabama residents saw their homes destroyed as tornadoes swept through the stateImage: Butch Dill/AP/picture alliance
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Homes were destroyed, trees ripped up and power was knocked out as a group of tornadoes tore through Alabama on Thursday. Five people were killed and an unknown number of injuries have been reported.
One of multiple twisters stemmed from a "super cell" cell of storms in the eastern part of the state, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, hitting Calhoun County where all five deaths occurred.
"Tonight, five people lost their lives and for those families, it will never be the same," said Calhoun County Sheriff Mathew Wade.
Pat Lindsey, a resident of the hard-hit town of Ohatchee, told The Associated Press that she saw her neighbor killed as a twister destroyed his mobile home.
More than 35,000 people lost power in their homes.
Large swaths of the southern state were hit with up to eight tornadoes as the storm moved about 100 miles from west to east, said Chris Darden, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the bad weatherImage: Butch Dill/dpa/picture alliance
Rescue efforts
As the weather system approached Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey issued a emergency declaration for 46 counties and officials opened shelters in and around Birmingham.
Even with the preparation, search and rescue efforts were complicated by bad weather that continued to pummel the region.
State troopers had to close lanes of a major highway as floodwaters covered the roadway. The highway was reopened later in the day.
Although Alabama bore the brunt of the storm, forecasters warned of dangerous weather to come, with flash floods and possible tornadoes from eastern Mississippi into western Georgia as well as northward into Tennessee and Kentucky.
jm/msh (AP, Reuters)
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
Image: AFP/D. Sarkar
Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan
Residents along Bangladesh's coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.
Image: AFP/District Administration of Bhola
Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
Image: AFP/A. Beronio
Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
Image: Reuters
A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
Image: Reuters
Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
Image: Fotolia/Daniel Loretto
Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
