At least seven people have died after a series of significant tornadoes touched down in Alabama and across the Southeast, reports NBC News. On Friday, over 40 tornadoes have been reported.
The National Weather Service estimated that tornadoes caused massive damage in at least 14 counties in Alabama and five in Georgia.
On Thursday around 12:30 p.m., Selma was directly in the path of a severe tornado. In response to the danger, emergency response teams cleared off roadways and provided residents with assistance.
Authorities told residents across the city to seek shelter as power lines were down throughout the region.
"We are asking everyone to stay calm and stay in place until further notice," the City of Selma posted on Facebook.
James Perkins, Jr., mayor of Selma, noted the destruction that the storm caused in the city in an official statement.
"Selma has received significant damage from the tornado. Everyone has been asked to use 911 to report damage and stay away from downed power lines. City crews are out clearing right of ways and providing assistance," his statement read.
Describing the storm, Autauga County Emergency Management Director Ernie Baggett said that the 20-mile tornado track started in the Old Kingston area before moving to the Marbury area of the state.
"Both of those [communities] combined, it looks like we've got about 40 homes, maybe a few more, that have been either destroyed or [have] major damage," Baggett explained.
Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama declared a state of emergency for six counties of his state. Autauga Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, and Tallapoosa were included in the declaration following the aftermath of the storms.
"We have already seen parts of the state rattled by this severe weather system, which is why I have issued a state of emergency," Ivey said in a tweet.
In Georgia, a five-year-old boy was killed when a tree struck the car he was a passenger in.
Georgia's Gov. Brian Kemp also issued a state of emergency for Georgia "to respond with an all-hands-on-deck approach" to communities that were impacted.
PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages throughout the nation, reported that tens of thousands of homes and businesses are without power in Alabama and Georgia.
