TEAM COVERAGE: Homes destroyed, buildings leveled, trees flattened from potential Alabama tornadoes
TORNADO THAT HIT SIPSEY RIGHT AFTER IT CROSSED HIGHWAY 78. THANKS TO SERGEANT DAVID WILSON OF THE ALABAMA NATIONAL FAIR. THE ALABAMA, THE ALABAMA AIR NATIONAL GUARD. EXCUSE ME FOR SENDING US THIS. AND HERE’S SOME VIDEO FROM GAVIN WHITE. A VIEWER SENT THIS IN TO US AND TAKE A LOOK IN THE DISTANCE. THERE A PRETTY SCARY SIGHT. A FUNNEL CLOUD. THIS IS WEST OF ARAB, SO WE WANT TO THANK GAVIN WHITE FOR SENDING THIS VIDEO IN TO US. WELL, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NEARLY 54,000 ALABAMIANS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. THAT’S ACCORDING TO POWER OUTAGE. DOT US OFFICIALS WITH ALABAMA POWER SAY THAT THEY HAVE RESOURCES FROM 12 DIFFERENT STATES TO HELP REPAIR THOSE OUTAGES. AND OF COURSE, WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON AIR AND ONLINE AS THOSE CREWS WORK TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON. FOR SO MANY FAMILIES ACROSS THE STATE. LIVE LOCAL, LATE BREAKING. THIS IS A WVTM 13 SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE AT 10:22 P.M. WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO CALL THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OVER HERE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA. THERE STILL REMAINS A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT, BUT THE ENTIRE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN AREA HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM IT. BOTH JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES, NO LONGER UNDER A TORNADO WATCH. BIBB TUSCALOOSA WALKER CULLMAN NO LONGER UNDER A WATCH. STILL, CHEROKEE. CALHOUN, TALLADEGA, CLAY, COOSA, AND CHILTON. BUT EVEN THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE REMOVED VERY SOON. WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER HAS BEEN GETTING A WORKOUT TODAY, AND YOU CAN STILL SEE AS WE’VE REMOVED THE RAIN TEMPORARILY JUST SO THAT YOU CAN PICK OUT THOSE INDIVIDUAL WARNINGS. LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT THE RADAR LOOKS LIKE OVER EAST ALABAMA, AND WE STILL HAVE SOME HEFTY STORMS PRODUCING POTENTIALLY SEVERE WEATHER NEAR ANNISTON, NEAR ASHLAND, AND THEN JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF ROCKFORD. SO LET’S GO INTO THE ANNISTON AREA FIRST, AND I’LL SHOW YOU THE STORMS THAT ARE COMING FROM TALLADEGA COUNTY INTO CALHOUN COUNTY. AND THE WESTERN PART OF CLEBURNE COUNTY, VERY STRONG STORM RIGHT HERE JUST NORTH OF MOUNT HOR. THAT’S COMING ALONG INTERSTATE 20, CLOSE TO EXIT 179 THAT IS ALREADY PAST MUNFORD. IT’S MOVING UP INTO THE OXFORD AREA. THE STORM HERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ROUGHLY ABOUT 55 TO 60MPH. THAT’S GOING TO GET IT INTO CHOCCOLOCCO IRON CITY AND BELLTOWN BETWEEN NOW AND 1040. SO ROUGHLY ABOUT 20 MINUTES, YOU’RE GOING TO GET A POP OF STRONG WIND, A LOT OF LIGHTNING, HEAVY RAIN. BUT THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SIGNIFICANT TORNADO THREAT INVOLVED IN THESE STORMS. AT THIS MOMENT. IN FACT, THE VELOCITY DISPLAY HERE DOES NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE SOME OF THE ACTION THAT WE’VE SEEN TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ANNISTON AND OXFORD EARLIER TODAY. NOW, LET’S GO FARTHER SOUTH AND WE’LL LOOK AT THE TORNADO, THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT IS IN EFFECT IN CLAY COUNTY. AND THEN WE’LL WORK OUR WAY DOWN TOWARD COOSA COUNTY. THE MAJORITY OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CLAY COUNTY, NOT INCLUDING LINEVILLE AND ASHLAND UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING. AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THIS BOWING LINE SEGMENT THAT’S BASICALLY MOVING ON TOP OF CHICKASAW RIGHT NOW. SO THIS IS WHERE THE STRONGEST WIND WOULD BE WITHIN THIS STORM. AND THEN IT’S TRAILING BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST. JUST VERY HEAVY RAIN, THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, THAT’S ALL. MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST TOWARD ALABAMA 49 AND HIGHWAY NINE AROUND DELTA. SO YOU THINK MOUNT CHIHA, YOU GO UP THAT THAT SQUIGGLY LINE RIGHT THERE IS 281 GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN TO GET TO THE STATE PARK. THIS THING IS BLOWING RIGHT OVER THE STATE PARK NOW AND HEADED TOWARD HOLLIS CROSSROADS. AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE MAINLY HERE ACROSS CLAY COUNTY IS JUST SOME VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM ASHLAND TO MILLERVILLE DOWN ALONG 148. AND THEN THAT’S ABOUT TO HIT DOWN TOWARD MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH AND MELLOW VALLEY GOODWATER HEAVY RAIN FALLING HERE, BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRING. IN FACT, LOOK AT THAT. THE WARNINGS WERE JUST DROPPED THERE FOR THE THE SOUTHERN PART OF CLAY COUNTY AND THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF COOSA COUNTY. AND NOW WE’RE ONLY LEFT WITH THIS ONE WARNING DOWN TO THE SOUTH, INCLUDING NIXBURG AND EQUALITY BOLTON COVE, RIGHT THERE ON LAKE MARTIN. THE STORM IS NOW PAST SPEED, AND IT’S TRACKING RIGHT TOWARD ALABAMA. 259 US 280 AND ALABAMA HIGHWAY 63. AND AGAIN, WE’LL LOOK AT THESE TO SEE IF THERE’S ANY SIGN OF TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT. AND ALTHOUGH THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE SOME VERY BROAD ROTATION ON A LINEAR AREA HERE RUNNING FROM SOUTHEASTERN COOSA COUNTY DOWN INTO NORTHERN ELMORE COUNTY TO THE NORTH OF WETUMPKA AND WEST OF CENTRAL. I DON’T SEE ANYTHING HERE THAT IMMEDIATELY SAYS WE’RE ABOUT TO SEE ANOTHER TORNADO DEVELOP. WE’RE GOING TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT, THOUGH. YOU GOT PROBABLY ANOTHER TEN MINUTES OR SO FOR THIS THING TO STAY IN COOSA COUNTY, RIGHT AT ABOUT NINE MINUTES TO BOLTON COVE, AND THEN IT CROSSES OVER ALABAMA HIGHWAY 63. FROM THERE, WE’RE GOING TO LOOK DOWN TO THE SOUTH AND FIND THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME THUNDERSTORMS ONGOING THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM IS MONITORING, BUT WE ARE NO LONGER LOOKING AT A SIGNIFICANT THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE. IT IS BEGINNING TO MOVE AWAY FROM US. AND ONCE IT’S GONE, THERE IS NO MORE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FOR TONIGHT OR FOR THE IMMEDIATE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. TAYLOR YES, AND SO WE’VE HAD COUNTIES DROPPED FROM THAT TORNADO WATCH. IF I NAME YOUR COUNTY NOW, YOUR SEVERE THREAT IS OVER. YOU ARE DONE WITH ANY KIND OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING. SO MARION, WINSTON, LAMAR, FAYETTE, WALKER, COLEMAN, PICKENS, GREENE, HALE, TUSCALOOSA, BIBB, JEFFERSON, SHELBY, BLOUNT, ETOWAH, SAINT CLAIR. THOSE ARE ALL THE COUNTIES THAT HAVE BEEN DROPPED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH. YOU ARE DONE WITH THAT TORNADO WATCH. WE DO STILL HAVE A FEW COUNTIES IN THE TORNADO WATCH. CHILTON, COOSA, TALLADEGA, CLAY, CLEBURNE, CALHOUN, CHEROKEE, RANDOLPH. AND SO WE’LL WATCH THOSE COUNTIES. JASON WAS JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT THOSE STORMS LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A COUPLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS, BUT AT THE MOMENT WE DON’T HAVE ANY TORNADO WARNINGS. ONCE THAT TORNADO WATCH IS DROP FOR YOUR LOCATION, YOU’RE DONE WITH THOSE STORMS. WE’RE QUIET THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING SO YOU CAN REST EASY TONIGHT KNOWING THAT THERE’S NO ACTIVE WEATHER IN THE FORECAST LATE TONIGHT OR THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW. WE’LL HAVE A HIGH IN THE 60S, TOMORROW A CLEARING SKY. IT IS GOING TO BE COOLER MONDAY FOR SAINT PATRICK’S DAY. WE START THE DAY IN THE UPPER 30S, SO A CHILLY START TO THE DAY. BUT WE END UP IN THE LOW 60S BY THE AFTERNOON WITH SUNSHINE WARMING INTO TUESDAY, WE’LL END UP IN THOSE MID 70S BY THE AFTERNOON, WHICH IS GOING TO FEEL REALLY GOOD. AND THEN YOU SEE THE CHANCE FOR A FEW STORMS POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT WE DEALT WITH TODAY. THIS IS JUST THE CHANCE FOR A FEW SUB SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. OVERALL RAIN CHANCE FAIRLY LOW FOR WEDNESDAY, BUT NOT LOOKING AT A SEVERE THREAT ON WEDNESDAY. AFTER THAT, WE DO TURN MUCH COOLER FOR THURSDAY AND IT’S GOING TO BE BREEZY WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S. FRIDAY WE COULD HAVE SOME PATCHY FROST TO GET THE MORNING STARTED WITH LOWS IN THE 30S, FOLLOWED BY AN AFTERNOON IN THE MID 60S AND THEN SOME SHOWERS POSSIBLE. SATURDAY OF REALLY I GUESS SEVEN DAYS FROM NOW. SO NEXT WEEKEND. ALL RIGHT. THANKS A LOT TAYLOR. WE DO WANT TO GET BACK OUT TO CALERA TONIGHT. THAT’S WHERE WVTM 13 GLADYS BAUTISTA IS WITH MORE DAMAGE THAT WE’RE SEEING IN THAT AREA. GLADYS WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE’RE AT A MOBILE HOME PARK. AND AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE DAMAGE THAT WE’RE SEEING HERE. JUST TAKE A LOOK. ALL OF WHAT WAS IN A BEDROOM IS JUST ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW. THIS MOBILE HOME IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. WE’RE HERE WITH THE OWNER OF THIS MOBILE HOME, TIM STRIGL AND TIM TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON TONIGHT WHEN YOU HEARD THAT THIS STORM WAS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO YOUR HOME. WELL, ME AND MY DAUGHTER WAS DISCUSSING ABOUT ACTUALLY RIDING THE STORM OUT, AND SHE SAID, NO, WE PROBABLY NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE. SO I CALLED UP A FRIEND OF OURS WHO HAS A BASEMENT THAT FOR SHELTER, AND HE SAYS, GET TO MY HOUSE NOW, BECAUSE THERE’S TWO OF THEM HEADED YOUR WAY. AND SO WE LOADED UP AND WE LEFT, LEAVING THE CATS AND DOGS. WE JUST GOT OUT OF HERE. AND ACCORDING TO MY DAUGHTER, SHE FOUND OUT LATER THAT AS SOON AS WE GOT UP THERE, IT WAS HIT. AND THIS ROOM THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, THAT’S MY BEDROOM. I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT ROOM BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE I SPEND ALL MY TIME. WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST THE CONTENTS OF YOUR BEDROOM OUT HERE LIKE THIS ON THE GROUND, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? WELL, I’M ALIVE, AND IT’S JUST MATERIAL STUFF. WE CAN START OVER. AND THE AMAZING THING ABOUT IT IS, IS YESTERDAY WHEN I WENT TO PAY THE INSURANCE ON MY TRUCK, I TOOK INSURANCE OUT ON A TRAILER AND THEY SAID IT WILL BE COVERED. SO LOOKS LIKE I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT STUFF. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AND YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS, I WAS JUST SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO LIVES HERE. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY HERE IS JUST IN A STATE OF SHOCK. YEAH, YEAH, THAT’S THAT’S ALL YOU CAN BE. I MEAN, IT’S ALREADY HAPPENED. NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. JUST LOOK FOR THE FUTURE AND KEEP GOING. WHAT COMES NEXT AFTER THIS? I MEAN, YOU’RE LOOKING AT YOUR HOME THE WAY THAT IT IS. ACTUALLY, I DON’T KNOW. ALL I’VE GOT IS A TRUCK. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE SLEEPING TONIGHT. IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE EVERYTHING’S UNSURE RIGHT NOW. WHAT? ME AND MY DAUGHTER HAVE OUR LIVES. THAT’S ALL I CAN SAY. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, TIM. I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A HUG. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE OKAY AND THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF HERE SAFELY. BUT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE DEALING WITH EXACTLY THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. AND, TIM, YOU WERE ACTUALLY TELLING ME THAT YOUR TRAILER IS TYPICALLY NOT HERE IN WHERE IT’S AT. WELL, IT IT’S JUST SHIFTED OVER A LITTLE BIT. IT, IT WAS A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE IT’S AT NOW. AND IT’S JUST I DON’T THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY A TORNADO THAT HIT IT. I THINK IT WAS A STRAIGHT LINE WIND THAT JUST BLEW IT OFF ITS AXIS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HIT ONE PART OF THE TRAILER HARDER THAN ANY OF IT. ANY OF THE REST OF IT. MY BEDROOM IS GONE. DEFINITELY. AND I MEAN, YOU CAN JUST SEE THE PIECES OF FURNITURE HERE ON THE GROUND. WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DRESSER ON THE GROUND, A MATTRESS, CHAIRS, WHAT APPEARS TO BE STORAGE. YOU CAN SEE DRESS A DRESSER RIGHT THERE WITH CLOTHES STILL IN IT. HERE ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW IT’S STILL RAINING. THE LIGHTNING IS GOING. WE’VE HEARD THUNDER A FEW TIMES HERE, SO THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW THE STRENGTH OF THESE STORMS THAT HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. EARLIER TODAY WE WERE IN SIPSEY. NOW WE’RE HERE IN CALERA. THUNDER IS RUMBLING. RIGHT NOW THERE IS LIGHTNING. THE RAIN IS STILL FALLING. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK TO THEIR HOMES. AND THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE COMING HOME TO. THANKFULLY, MANY LIKE TIM TOOK HEED TO THOSE WARNINGS, WENT TO A SAFE PLACE AND THAT IS RIGHT NOW WHAT MANY PEOPLE ARE THANKFUL FOR IS THAT THEY HAVE THEIR LIVES AND THAT THEY ARE STILL HERE. FOR NOW, WE’LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU GUYS IN THE STUDIO. ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HE AND HIS DAUGHTER ARE. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MORE AREAS OF THE BIRMINGHAM AREA SEEING A LOT OF DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE STORMS. YEAH. NOW LET’S GET BACK OUT TO WVTM 13 JON PAEPCKE. HE’S OUT AT BURN CAMPERS TONIGHT. JOHN, TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE SEEING. I KNOW THE LAST TIME WE TALKED TO YOU, YOU SAID THAT YOU GUYS WERE FORCED TO GET IN THE SHELTER. NOW YOU’RE OUT AMONGST ALL OF THE DAMAGE. YEAH, ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY STOPPED BY. I BELIEVE THAT SAME MOBILE HOME PARK THAT GLADYS WAS AT, I BELIEVE THAT’S RIGHT OFF 13TH STREET, UNLESS IT’S A DIFFERENT ONE. BUT THERE WAS. WE SAW SOME OF THE SAME DAMAGE SHE DID AFTER WE LEFT THE THE SCHOOL THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD TO HUNKER DOWN IN. WHILE THE STORM MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TORNADO, WE’LL SEE. PASSED OVER AND ACTUALLY KNOCKED OUT THE POWER. YOU COULD FEEL THE AIR PRESSURE CHANGE. AND AFTER WE WENT BY THE MOBILE HOME PARK, WE ENDED UP COMING OVER HERE BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE BURTON MOBILE, NOT MOBILE HOME PARK. THE RV LOT BUSINESS, WHICH IS RIGHT OFF I-65 AT EXIT 231. I’M GOING TO LET MY PHOTOGRAPHER, MEL STEVENS, GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER LOOK, BECAUSE IT’S KIND OF DARK OUT HERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE ACTUAL MAINTENANCE BUILDING. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I’VE ACTUALLY HAD MY RV WORKED ON HERE MANY YEARS AGO. AND YOU CAN SEE THE THE WIND JUST BASICALLY COLLAPSED THE CEILING, THE ROOF OF THIS BUILDING ONTO AN RV THAT WAS BEING WORKED ON. THERE’S DEBRIS ON THE GROUND. IF WE TAKE A LOOK TO THE LEFT, MEL, MOVE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN ALONG THE FENCE HERE AND THERE’S A DOWNED POWER LINE. WE GOT TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON’T GET TOO CLOSE TO THAT. OF COURSE. GOT TO BE SAFE. YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER RV THAT HAS BEEN FLIPPED OVER ON ITS SIDE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND ME HERE, AND THERE’S ANOTHER RV IN FRONT OF IT THAT ACTUALLY IT SLAMMED INTO. I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S ANY OTHER RVS THAT ARE DAMAGED. WE WERE ACTUALLY PULLING UP HERE RIGHT OFF I-65 COMING OFF THE EXIT. ALL THE RVS THAT ARE ALONG THE INTERSTATE LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE UNHARMED. IT WASN’T UNTIL WE MADE IT TO THE BACK SIDE HERE THAT WE NOTICED THE DAMAGE THAT YOU’RE SEEING NOW. NOW, IF YOU ALSO YOU CAN NOTICE THE POWER LINE. LIKE I SAID, IT WAS DOWN THE WINDS THAT CAME THROUGH HERE SNAPPED THIS POWER POLE IN HALF AND LAID IT DOWN NEAR ALONG THE GROUND. THERE’S DEBRIS THAT’S UP IN THE TREES IN THE DISTANCE. AS YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THIS AREA. AS WE WERE DRIVING ON THE WAY OVER HERE FROM WHERE THAT MOBILE HOME PARK WAS ACTUALLY, AND FROM THE SCHOOL AS WELL, WE SAW WE SAW DEBRIS IN THE ROADWAY IN DOWNTOWN, CALERA ON HIGHWAY 25. SO IT’S GOING TO TAKE THIS COMMUNITY A FEW DAYS, IF NOT WEEKS,
TEAM COVERAGE: Homes destroyed, buildings leveled, trees flattened from potential Alabama tornadoes
Updated: 2:43 AM CDT Mar 16, 2025
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WVTM 13 was live with team coverage for more than nine hours on Saturday during two dozen Central Alabama Tornado Warnings.
Our reporters were in the community and stayed safe with residents in storm shelters during the warnings to keep people prepared and informed alongside our experienced meteorologists.
The National Weather Service has tracked potential tornado damage in more than a dozen locations. You can take a look here.
More than 30 people are dead and several homes are decimated in Missouri and Arkansas.
Emergency management officials and WVTM 13 crews have sent in the following storm coverage and damages:
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.
Courtesy: Henry’s Weather Channel
Severe storm system carves path of destruction through town of Gordo
Mobile home park destroyed
Severe storms destroy Calera camper business
Courtesy: Henry’s Weather Channel
Winterboro High School damaged during potential tornado
Massive floating dock launched out of Lake Tuscaloosa during severe storms
Courtesy: Henry’s Weather Channel
Courtesy: Henry’s Weather Channel
Dead fish scattered with debris during storm
‘It was really scary’: Alabama man says he was holding his kids under him as severe storm tore through area
Damage at Bull Slough in Lake Tuscaloosa Area
Damage at Bull Slough in Lake Tuscaloosa Area
Storm over Walker County seen from Dora
Tree down on Highway 181 in Eutaw
First report of storm damage on Tierce Patton Road
