At least 23 people, some children, have been killed after tornadoes struck Lee County in eastern Alabama, authorities said.
Sheriff Jay Jones said the toll could rise, but rescue efforts had to stop until dawn due to the danger of searching in the dark.
“The challenge is the sheer volume of the debris where all the homes were located,” he said.
It is unknown how many are injured. Authorities have blocked off the area.
The National Weather Service (NWS) classified the first tornado to strike as at least an EF-3 – meaning winds of up to 165 miles per hour (266km/h) – carving a path at least half a mile (0.8km) wide.
Authorities say they are still working to identify the victims and the injured.
Family members reportedly said one of the victims was an eight year old in the town of Beauregard.
“We’ve never had a mass fatality situation, that I can remember, like this in my lifetime,” Lee County coroner Bill Harris reportedly said.
Here’s a radar loop of the destructive tornado that ripped through southern Lee County earlier today. This was the 1st tornado to impact the county. #alwx pic.twitter.com/QfKIju6OuN
— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) March 4, 2019
Rescuers have yet to reach some areas, he said, and coroners from other parts of the state were coming to help.
East Alabama Medical Centre said it was treating more than 40 people injured by the extreme weather, and was expecting more.
