The governor of Alabama says there has been significant damage in parts of Alabama.
Gov. Kay Ivey said state resources were being sent to the affected areas, especially Jacksonville and Calhoun County, in her statement Monday night.
She added, “Our first priority is ensuring our people are safe. Please stay out of affected areas and let first responders do their job.”
Alabama Power Co. is reporting about 15,000 homes and businesses without electricity in areas including Calhoun and Etowah counties.
Significant damage has been reported at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
Athletic director Greg Seitz said in a tweet Monday evening, “I can confirm we have major roof damage at Pete Mathews Coliseum, but The Pete is not completely destroyed.” He said there was extensive damage in Jacksonville.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, tweeted earlier that there was possibly a large tornado near Jacksonville and Calhoun County that was moving east into northern Cleburne County.
Severe storms have damaged buildings and downed trees in a northern Alabama county.
The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office posted photos on Twitter of houses without roofs and destroyed garages in Ardmore, Alabama, on Monday evening. But it had no reports of injuries from the storms.
The office also tweeted that downed trees and power lines were blocking roads in the county along the Tennessee border.
The National Weather Service in Huntsville, Alabama, issued a severe weather statement at 6:41 p.m. that a confirmed tornado was over Ardmore and moving east.
The University of Alabama planned to suspend normal operations Monday evening because of a severe weather threat.
The school said in a news release that operations would be suspended from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. That means classes and campus activities scheduled during that window are canceled.
University libraries were set to close at 6:30 p.m. and some dining halls were set to close early.
Campus shelters were open to students, faculty and staff at North Campus Storm Shelter, East Campus Storm Shelter and the Magnolia Parking Deck. The Magnolia Parking Deck accepts pets accompanied by their owners.
The university plans to provide updates on Twitter at @UA_Safety.
(Image: Governor Kay Ivey/Flickr)
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)
