Jan Wesner Childs and Ron Brackett
Survivors on Friday said they were just grateful to be alive as they began to comprehend the scope of damage from a string of tornadoes and severe weather across the South.
The storms Thursday killed at least nine people and injured many more.
There were more than three dozen reports of tornadoes in at least seven states. Surveys will take multiple days to complete in order to come up with an official count for this severe weather outbreak.
One of those tornadoes claimed the lives of at least seven people in Autauga County, Alabama, where dozens of homes were destroyed. Another tornado carved a path through Selma, Alabama. Homes and businesses were damaged in several areas, semis tipped over and power lines were knocked down.
In Jackson, Georgia, about 40 miles southeast of Atlanta, a tree fell on a car killing a 5-year-old passenger, according to Butts County Coroner Lacey Prue. A state transportation worker was also killed while responding to storm damage, according to Gov. Brian Kemp.
Here are our updates from Friday, in the aftermath of the storm.
(6:08 p.m. ET) 'Everything Was Gone'
Jerry Husted huddled in the floorboards of his car as what would be a deadly tornado approached in Autauga County, Alabama.
He described what happened, in an emotional interview with The Weather Channel’s Jen Carfagno
“And then it picked the car up, spun it around, slammed it down,” Husted said. “When it all stopped, I looked, everything was gone. Everything.
(5:47 p.m. ET) Survivors Grateful To Be Alive
Tracey Wilhelm was at work Thursday when a tornado roared through Alabama's Autauga County. The twister lifted her mobile home off its foundation and left it in a pile of debris. Her husband and five dogs were home at the time, but survived.
“God was sure with us,” Wilhelm told The Associated Press.
(5:37 p.m. ET) Man Takes Shelter At Walmart - Then Tornado Hits
"Lights went off, part of the roof fell off, rain water coming in, everybody screaming, running."
That's how Ben Alexander described the scene inside a Walmart Thursday in Griffin, Georgia. In a video interview Friday, he said he had pulled off the road and ducked inside to take shelter.
Outside, cars were tossed around and debris scattered across the parking lot.
But everyone in the store was safe, and Alexander was glad he sought refuge there.
"I was very very happy with that decision because if I wouldn’t have, I would have definitely been right in the middle of it, no doubt about it," he said.
(12 p.m. ET) Death Toll Rises In Alabama, Georgia
At least two more deaths are being connected to Thursday's severe weather, according to The Associated Press.
Searchers in Autauga County, Alabama, found a body near a badly damaged home this morning. And in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said a state Department of Transportation worker was killed while responding to storm damage.
(9:22 a.m. ET) Autauga County Officials Search For Missing
Ernie Baggett, Autauga County's Emergency Management director, told The Weather Channel that searches continue there for people who are unaccounted for.
He added that it's unclear how many people are actually missing versus those who just haven't been in touch with family members.
Baggett also said that the decision to keep students in school saved lives. He said many of the homes destroyed in the tornado were empty because their occupants were still at school or work. At least six people died during the storm.
Referring to the damage, he said, “This is some of the worst we’ve seen.”
(8:30 a.m. ET) Damage Reported in Georgia's Cobb County
The Cobb County Fire Department said 14 families were displaced after 18 homes were damaged as storms moved through the Austell area on Thursday.
A wall was ripped off a trucking parts warehouse near Austell and Lithia Springs, according to Atlanta News First.
Students Stranded For Hours In Middle Schools
Hundreds of students were stranded, some late into the night, at four middle schools in Spalding County, Georgia.
When a tornado warning was issued at about 3:15 p.m. ET, buses were told to take students back to Kennedy, Cowan Road, Rehoboth Road and Carver middle schools. Parents were allowed to come pick up their children, but those students who had to rely on bus transportation were stuck after downed trees and debris made many roads in the area impassable.
"Under the circumstances, we did the best we could. Things that were unavoidable, we worked around them. We were communicating between the middle schools. Everybody was talking to each other, making sure everyone was OK," Zachary Holmes, Griffin-Spalding School Board member, told Fox 5.
The mayor of Griffin delivered water, chips, cookies and other snacks to the students, Holmes said.
Spalding County sheriff's deputies started taking the remaining students home around 11 p.m.
Fifteen students at Cowan Road Middle School still had not been able to contact their families as of midnight. They were taken to a shelter at the district's offices, according to a Facebook post from the district.
Falling Tree Trapped Man For Hours
Firefighters and volunteers worked for hours to free a man trapped when a tree crashed onto his home near Griffin, Georgia.
After being pulled from the debris, the man tossed his hands in the air as he was being loaded into an ambulance, according to WSB-TV.
“A blessing,” the man’s daughter, Alayassa Roberts, told the TV station. “That was a blessing. That man has been through so much.”
Griffin Fire Rescue Operations Chief Brian Brock said, “That was a great moment. Our guys, we’ve got a great fire department and they were all hands on deck.”
Brock said the man had been pinned from about the middle of the chest down.
Roberts praised their work.
“At the end of the day not only was it a life up under there, but they’re putting their lives at risk to save other lives,” she said.
Extensive Damage In Alexander City, Alabama
Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird told the Alabama News Network some homes were destroyed in his city and others had trees fall on them.
Trees also blocked many roads throughout the area.
An Alabama Marine Patrol officer was hurt when a tree fell on his patrol car on Elkahatchee Road near Wind Creek State Park, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The trooper was taken to a hospital and is recovering.
A pickup tree was smashed by a falling tree near Alexander City, Alabama, on Thursday, January 12, 2023.'You Could Hear The Roar'
The tornado that tore through Selma, Alabama, ripped the roof off of the Selma Country Club, where Ray Hogg took shelter.
“I could hear my ears popping. You could hear the roar. Glass going everywhere. You could hear the roof literally being torn off right over our heads. It was scary. I mean I’ve never, I hope I never have to do that again. It was awful,” Hogg told WAKA.
Jeff Reeves was driving when the tornado hit. He said the debris and blowing wind caused him to drive his car into another car on his right.
That's when a huge tree crashed down on both cars.
“The wind was coming from that direction and pushed me into their car. We all of a sudden saw the tree in the middle of the road, and that was it,” Reeves told WAKA.
He said he and the other driver were not hurt.
Damage in Griffin, Georgia, Includes Funeral Home
Multiple people were trapped when a storm damaged the Vineyard Creek Apartments in Griffin, Georgia, according to WAGA.
The roof was ripped off a Hobby Lobby store, and a Walmart and Dollar General were also damaged.
The employees of Peterson's Funeral Home in Griffin realized they were in danger as the lights blinked out.
"Us three were up there talking like, 'We need to kind of, sort of start moving to the back of the room,'" Ladamian Raines told WMAX.
"As we were running from our front office down the hall, immediately as we turned the curve, a humongous tree came inside the building."
Even though the building looks beyond repair, the employees remain hopeful.
"It's coming back. There's only one way. That's the Peterson way. We're going to make sure it works," Raines said.
Governor Declares State Of Emergency in Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and ordered all hands on deck in the communities affected by Thursday's storms.
"Throughout this evening, Marty’s and my thoughts will return to those impacted by today’s severe storms and tornadoes," Kemp said in a tweet.
Alabama Governor Declares State Of Emergency
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency in six counties: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa.
Troup County Neighborhoods Damaged
More than 20 homes were damaged or destroyed as a storm ripped through La Grange, Georgia.
"Grabbed my wife, threw her down, got on top of her in the closet, felt a little air pressure," John Reed told WXIA.
Reed said less than 30 seconds later the storm was gone; he cracked the closet door a little and there were no walls in his bedroom.
"The roof was completely gone, luckily neither my wife or I were hurt," he said. "It’s nice to be alive, and we're going to make the best of it."
Celeste Delaney arrived home to find her house destroyed.
"When I finally got around, this is what I came home to," she told WXIA. "I broke down in my car. Still shaking, still trying to get it together."
She said she was hoping the Red Cross could help find a place for her and her son.
Derrick Winston told WSB-TV, “I was saying to myself, ‘God, don’t let it end like this.’”
He and his wife huddled in a closet as the storm roared overhead.
“I’m 55 years old, I never encountered anything like this in my life. It’s a life changing experience for me,” Winston said.
Train Derails, Business Damaged In Butts County, Georgia
Three cars from a freight train derailed as a storm passed through Butts County, Georgia. County officials warned that intersections could be blocked in the area.
A cabinet manufacturing business at Interstate 75 and Highway 16 had its roof ripped off and water poured into the facility, according to Butts County Deputy Manager J. Michael Brewer. The Hyponex fertilizer plant also lost its roof, Brewer said. And many roads were blocked by fallen trees.
Brewer also said several mobile homes were badly damaged.
To read our updates from Thursday, click here.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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