Tornadoes kill at least 22 in Lee County, Alabama

Tornadoes kill at least 22 in Lee County, Alabama

In Lee County, Alabama twenty-two people have been killed, some of them children. Many more have been injured, but the number is still unknown. One of the tornados was considered an EF-3, meaning the winds reached speeds of 165 miles per hour.

Some of the twenty-two victims have been identified, and others are still waiting for identification with the authorities. Among the victims, an eight-year-old has been identified by family. The coroner has said that as long as he's been alive there's never been an instance of mass casualties such as this one. Coroners from other parts of the state are coming in to try to help with the identification and reunification processes. According to a meteorologist from Alabama, the amount of tornado deaths in Lee County this weekend surpassed the number of tornado deaths throughout the US in 2018.

Rescuers have yet to reach some areas that have been destroyed, but some forty people have been rescued and treated at area hospitals. They are expecting many more. A sheriff has described the destruction as "catastrophic." One of the tornados left a path a quarter of a mile wide and many miles long. According to the power companies, nearly 4,000 people are without power, and about half of those people are within Lee County.

The Alabama governor and President Trump have sent their thoughts to the families of those lost, and cautioned the public about inclement storms via Twitter.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47436809
By Megan Saar