BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Relentless winds and rain pummeled large swaths of the South on Tuesday, causing tornadoes, sparking a flash flood emergency in Alabama and damaging homes from Texas
Storms threatens 40MILLION across the South: Extreme wind, hail and rain leave 300,000 without power and spark flash flood warnings in Alabama
The storms prompted boat rescues, toppled trees and power lines and raised the threat of flash floods elsewhere in the region
The National Weather Service issued the flash flood emergency for the Birmingham, Alabama, area at the start of rush hour, warning that torrential rains - as much as 5 inches in some areas - had already fallen
Jefferson County Emergency Management officials in the Birmingham area urged residents to stay off the roads because so many were flooded
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) â Relentless wind and rain continued to pummel large swaths of the South on Tuesday, causing tornadoes, sparking a flash flood emergency in Alabama and damaging homes from Texas to Virginia.
The National Weather Service issued the flash flood emergency for the Birmingham, Ala., area at the start of rush hour, warning that torrential rains â as much as 5 inches in some areas â already had fallen and another 2 inches were possible before the storm system continued moving east.
Jefferson County Emergency Management officials urged residents to stay off the roads because so many were flooded and covered.
Strong winds blowing behind a line of storms were toppling trees across central Alabama, where soil was saturated with water. In the Birmingham suburb of Homewood, residents huddled on the second-floor balcony of an apartment complex that became flooded. Rescuers in a small boat paddled through the parking lot past submerged cars.
Flood threats persist as storms continue to drench much of the southeastern U S theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.