(News Nation) – Two people die from Montgomery, Alabama and several people injured after a wave of deadly tornadoes tore through the southeastern part of the country Tuesday night.
These are the same strong tornadoes moving east from Texas that the NWS had warned about.
“We are praying for the family,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Isaiah Sankey. Sankey is the vice president of the Montgomery County Commission and represents Flatwood, the north Montgomery neighborhood where the two lives were lost.
“We want family members to know that we are supporting them and whatever they need, we are going to have the resources available to help them get through this. On top of that, when you talk about rebuilding, we’re not even concerned with that. At this time, we are only sorry for the (lives that were lost) during this tragic incident,” she said.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed the victims were a 39-year-old woman and her 8-year-old son, who died after a tree fell on their mobile home. WSFA reported. A man was the third person identified at the home and is reportedly being treated at an area hospital.
“The tree fell suddenly in the middle of the bed while they were sleeping. It fell on the wife and child,” Norman Bennett, a family member, said of the victims.
According to WSFA, the NWS upgraded the tornado to EF-2 Wednesday afternoon following damage monitoring, meaning certain areas saw winds of up to 115 mph.
Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham spoke about the effectiveness of first responders on Wednesday after the tornadoes.
“I cannot say enough about the men and women of the North Montgomery Pike Road Volunteer Fire Department. I mean, when they got that call, they came. Montgomery Fire Rescue, they brought their heavy rescue,” Cunningham told WSFA.
“We are going to continue to do that until we make sure everyone is accounted for. That is our number one priority,” she said.
While it appears that most of the storm has passed, the Montgomery County EMA said there were more reports of downed trees, including on homes, as well as downed power lines.
The surrounding community, however, is offering to help. The WSFA reported that the pastor of Union Academy Missionary Baptist Church will open the church doors at 5:30 pm to provide resources to residents of the Flatwood community.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Wes Garner’s residence is damaged by downed trees that also destroyed his shed and caused a gas leak following severe weather Tuesday night, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, in Eutaw, Alabama. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) -
The Flatwood Community Center is seen damaged, in Flatwood, Alabama, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Tornadoes damaged numerous homes, destroyed a fire station, briefly trapped people in a grocery store and ripped the roof off a complex of apartments in Mississippi and Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)