Possible tornadoes leave trail of damage
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 24, 2007
NEWBERN (AP) &8212; A possible tornado tore off roofs and damaged dozens of homes along rural Hale County roads, with a pine tree crashing into the living room of one couple&8217;s trailer, forcing them to escape through the hole in the ceiling.
Banks and her husband, Sid, who had gone to the living room after being awakend by a call from their daughter warning of a tornado, survived the ordeal late Monday night without serious injury. Authorities also reported no deaths Tuesday from the storm front that damaged at least 30 homes in rural west Alabama and caused flooding in Mobile County.
Denise Banks said the possible tornado arrived without warning. She said there was no sound, no shaking, just hard rain &8212; then the tree crashed and fierce wind twisted the other end of the trailer off its foundation.
She said they had no insurance and didn&8217;t know what they would do.
Despite the dire circumstances, she said, &8220;We&8217;re blessed.
Down the road, the storm ripped the roof off the home of Valerie and Kenneth Bell.
National Weather Service and emergency management officials said there was storm damage also in Lowndes County, where a possible tornado was spotted just after 2 a.m. Tuesday near Burkville, damaging several buildings, including a church.
Powerful winds also toppled power lines and uprooted trees in Dallas, Etowah, Bibb and Talladega counties.
In south Mobile County, storms Monday brought torrential rain and high winds, flooding streets, downing trees and power lines and destroying at least one home.
Reba Daniels, 49, arrived from work Monday to find her mobile home in ruins.
The NWS said two teams will survey damage Tuesday, one in Hale and surrounding counties and one in Lowndes and surrounding counties.