Alabama, Georgia pick up the pieces after deadly tornadoes

Severe_Weather_South_08140 Cindy Smitherman, left, talks with friends about the damage to her house at 2429 Montgomery Highway in Centerville, Ala., after it was hit by a tornado on a day of extended severe weather, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Pelham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather_South_35556 Cars were flipped and damaged on on Montgomery Highway in Centerville, Ala., after day of extended severe weather, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Pelham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
US_Severe_Weather_South_31762 A vehicle flipped on its roof and covered in debris after a tornado touched down in Newnan, Georgia, early Friday March 26, 2021. (@@charityislove via AP)
Severe_Weather_South_12032 Piles of debris remain after a tornado touched down killing several people and damaging multiple homes, Thursday, March 25, 2021 in Ohatchee, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_73556 Drone images show the damaged to Trish Partridge's house at left and James Dunaway's home at right following a day of extended severe weather, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Pelham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather_South_89379 Drone images show a line of destruction along Willow Bend Road following a day of extended severe weather, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Pelham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
APTOPIX_Severe_Weather_South_90926 Mary Rose DeArman, 69, describes how she and her husband sheltered in a basement closet when a tornado struck their neighborhood in Shelby County, Alabama, Friday, March 26, 2021. The twister, which struck on Thursday, collapsed their brick home on top of them, but they escaped without serious injury. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)
Severe_Weather_South_97030 Damage is seen to residences at the Eagle Point subdivision following a day of extended severe weather, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
US_Severe_Weather_South_58720 A road is blocked by trees after a tornado touched down in the early morning hours causing severe damage in Newnan, Georgia, Friday, March 26, 2021.(Newnan Utilities via AP)
Severe_Weather_South_88996 Residents begin the clean up process after a tornado touched down damaging multiple homes Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_50915 Debris scatters the landscape after a tornado touched down killing several people and damaging multiple homes Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_68477 Power company crews begin the clean up process after a tornado touched down Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_24498 Residents begin the clean up process after a tornado touched down Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_78681 Police tape lines the yard where James Geno "JW" was killed after a tornado touched down on Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_08937 Debris scatters the landscape after a tornado touched damaging multiple homes Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_48520 Residents begin the clean up process after a tornado touched down Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_84665 Debris scatters the landscape after a tornado touched down damaging multiple homes Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather_South_93963 Debris scatters the landscape after a tornado touched down damaging multiple homes Friday, March 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ala. A tornado outbreak has ripped across the Deep South leaving paths of destruction. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Severe_Weather-South_94186 Two women make their way down a debris filled street in Coweta County, Ga. on Friday, March 26, 2021, after a tornado moved through the area. Meteorologists say one large, dangerous tornado moved through western Georgia early Friday, downing trees and power lines. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Severe_Weather-South_78221 People make their way down a debris fille street in Coweta County, Ga. on Friday, March 26, 2021, after a tornado moved through the area. Meteorologists say one large, dangerous tornado moved through western Georgia early Friday, downing trees and power lines. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
APTOPIX_Severe_Weather_South_33516 In this photo taken by a drone, repair work begins on heavily damaged homes along Eagle Point Drive in Birmingham, Ala., following a day of extended severe weather, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather-South_27349 An officer moves near debris at Newnan High School, in Newnan, in Coweta County, Ga. on Friday, March 26, 2021, after a tornado moved through the area. Meteorologists say one large, dangerous tornado moved through western Georgia early Friday, downing trees and power lines. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Severe_Weather_South_01023 Repair work begins on heavily damaged homes along Eagle Point Drive in Birmingham, Ala., following a day of extended severe weather, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather_South_37287 Tornado survivors inspect the damage after a day of extended severe weather, Thursday, March 25, 2021 in Centerville, Ala.. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather_South_26195 Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego speaks at a press conference describing the tornado damage to Shelby County, near Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 25, 2021. Deadly tornadoes roared through Alabama on Thursday, toppling trees, demolishing homes and knocking out power to thousands, part of a broad swath of violent weather sweeping across the Deep South.(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Severe_Weather_South_47853 Kelsey Manley bows bubbles for her daughter Marin, 5, on Eagle Point Drive in Birmingham, Ala. to help each other decompress after their home was impacted by a tornado the previous day, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
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NEWNAN, Ga. (AP) — Chainsaws buzzed through fallen trees, stunned residents dug in the rubble that had been their homes, and neighbors rushed in to help on Friday after multiple tornadoes ripped a path of devastation across the Deep South. At least five people were killed.

As many as 10 tornadoes — an estimated eight in Alabama and two in Georgia — carved a tremendous path of devastation on Thursday, uprooting 100-year-old trees, stripping roofs from houses, seriously damaging schools and businesses, and scattering treasured family possessions far and wide.

All of the twisters were spawned by “supercell” thunderstorms, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

In the western Georgia town of Newnan on Friday, among several communities west of Atlanta walloped by the storms, the smell of pine and the whir of electric saws filled the neighborhood as volunteers lugging their own tools helped carve up fallen trees.

Charlene Watson’s apartment building was ripped apart by the tornado. She awoke to sirens and moved as quickly as she could to the basement of her building before the twister tore the roof off her building. Her son, Shawn Menard, waded through the debris, collecting the crosses that had lined Watson’s bedroom wall before it was ripped off and any other family mementos that could be salvaged.

“Just be thankful for everything you’ve got, because you are not promised the next day. Nothing is,” Watson said, holding back tears.

One person died overnight of a medical emergency, said Deputy Chief of Police Mark Cooper, although it wasn’t immediately clear if the death was connected to the tornado. The person’s name was not released as officials tried to notify family members. The Red Cross was trying to find hotels for 15 people who had fled to emergency shelters.

Officials found “heavy, heavy damage” in parts of the city’s historic district, Newnan Fire Chief Stephen Brown told a news conference.

In Alabama, one of the twisters, which formed in the southwestern part of the state, carved up ground for more than an hour and traveled about 100 miles (160 kilometers), causing heavy damage in the city of Centreville, south of Tuscaloosa.

De Block said the tornado dissipated in Shelby County, where another twister had already heavily damaged homes and businesses and devastated the landscape. The county is home to suburban Birmingham cities such as Pelham and Helena and the unincorporated subdivision of Eagle Point — all of which suffered heavy damage.

Larry and Mary Rose DeArman sheltered in a basement closet as the tornado slammed into their Eagle Point house, collapsing it into a pile of bricks.

“I could see the house splitting apart. … could see the sky, and then debris hit me in the head,” said Mary Rose, 69.

Neighbors lowered ladders into the basement so that the DeArmans could climb out. They both escaped serious injuries.

All of the five confirmed storm-related deaths were in Calhoun County.

County Coroner Pat Brown identified them Friday as Joe Wayne Harris, 74; Barbara Harris, 69; Ebonique Harris, 28; Emily Myra Wilborn, 72; and James William Geno, 72, Al.com reported.

“For those families, it will never be the same,” Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said at briefing Thursday evening.

Latasha Harris-Ramos told WBRC that her mother, father and sister all died when the tornado struck their home. Latasha, who lives in Virginia, tried reaching her family, and then her brother called and told her that her sister had died and they couldn’t find her parents. She got in the car and drove down immediately.

“I’m in a lot of pain. I’m in shock. I’m numb,” she told the station.

One of the victims in the hard-hit town of Ohatchee, a small community of about 1,170 people in eastern Alabama, was Dwight Jennings’ neighbor. Geno went by J.W. and had been a rodeo bull rider in his youth. He could make anything out of wood, and loved to angle for catfish, Jennings said. The two of them had planned to go fishing this weekend. Jennings spent hours searching for Geno’s dog. The animal was found alive.

Bad weather wasn’t limited to Georgia and Alabama. Officials warned of strong thunderstorms and potential flooding across the southern U.S., including in parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas. Emergency responders hospitalized one person in Sumner County, Tennessee, and the Nashville Fire Department posted photos on Twitter showing downed trees, damaged homes and streets blocked by debris. Thousands of customers remained without electricity in Alabama, according to poweroutage.us.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday extended condolences to the victims. She said President Joe Biden’s administration is in close contact with state and local officials, but hasn’t received any requests for federal assistance yet.

___

Chandler reported from Shelby County, Alabama. Associated Press journalists Kevin McGill in New Orleans; Desiree Mathurin in Atlanta; Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Butch Dill in Ohatchee, Alabama; and Rebecca Santana in New Orleans, contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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