A destructive wave of storms swept into Alabama on Saturday, bringing with them a rarely-seen threat level for possible long-track tornadoes, winds of up to 70 m.p.h., golf ball-sized hail and torrential rain.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey a day earlier declared a state of emergency for the entire state. Most of west and central Alabama had been elevated to a level five risk of severe weather arriving late Saturday, the highest level. It’s a warning level that had been used in Alabama only three times since 2006.
The level five risk area included the cities of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Selma. The rest of the state was categorized as a level four risk.
State flags fla[p in the wind at the state capitol building in Montgomery, Ala., as a storm approaches on Saturday afternoon March 15, 2025.
Fallen trees block roads in Pickens County
Emergency crews were working late Saturday afternoon to clear storm debris on several roads in Pickens County, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Fallen trees were reported on U.S. 82, U.S. 86, Alabama 159 and Pickens County 16 after a storm system moved through West Alabama.
Troopers with ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division were assisting with traffic control in Pickens County.
By 7:45 p.m., troopers said the roads in Pickens County had been cleared.
A news release from ALEA reminded motorists to limit driving during severe weather and avoid areas with hazardous conditions.
Damage reported in west Alabama
Storms and at least one suspected tornado caused damage in several west Alabama towns early Saturday evening.
Just after 5 p.m. the National Weather Service in Birmingham said it was getting reports of structural damage in Gordo. The NWS office earlier reported a radar-confirmed tornado entering the Gordo area and urged residents to seek shelter.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, shared photos of damage at a Lake Tuscaloosa-area gas station and in the Walker County town of Sipsey.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Who to call during the storm
The city of Montgomery urges residents to call 311 or 334-625-4636 for non-emergency situations including trees blocking roads, streetlight outages, potholes and road hazards and drainage or flooding concerns, according to a news release.
People should call 911 for emergencies that pose an immediate threat to life or property. Examples include a tree falling into a home, a fire, a medical emergency or a crime in progress.
“Our goal is to keep emergency lines open for true emergencies while ensuring residents receive prompt assistance for non-emergency city services,” Mayor Steven Reed said in a statement.
Tornado warning issued in Tuscaloosa
12 states send power recovery resources to Alabama
More than 3,500 storm resources from 12 states were joining Alabama Power’s line crews and storm team ahead of the arrival of severe weather, the company said. Spokesman Mike Jordan said crews were staged across the state and ready to go to work on repairs as soon as it was safe to do so.
About 20,000 people had lost power in Alabama by 3:30 p.m., according to tracking service PowerOutage.us.
The company offered the following advice for the aftermath of a storm:
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If your power goes out, turn off appliances to avoid any potential safety hazards when power is restored.
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Stay away from downed lines. Do not drive over lines or under low-hanging lines. Always assume power lines are energized.
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Keep children and pets away from downed lines.
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Stay clear of areas with fallen trees or limbs where downed lines may be hidden.
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Exercise caution near chain link fences. Dangerous lines may touch the metal.
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Avoid stepping in puddles and standing water after a storm as they may be touching hidden, downed power lines and be electrified.
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DO NOT attempt to remove tree limbs or anything else caught in power lines. Call Alabama Power at 1-800-888-2726 or contact a local law enforcement agency if downed lines are spotted.
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DO NOT attempt to make repairs to Alabama Power equipment. Call 1-800-888-2726 and wait for trained work crews to get there to perform the potentially dangerous work.
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Stay away from areas where repair crews are working. If you’re driving near work crews, obey road signs and proceed cautiously.
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Please be patient. Crews work as fast as safety allows. Before neighborhood lines can be repaired, crews must first repair larger lines that bring in power.
Safe locations in central Alabama
Elmore County
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Elmore County Courthouse, 100 E. Commerce Street in Wetumpka
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Penny Parkway, 212 Penny Parkway in Elmore
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Elmore Fire Station 1, 1245 AL Hwy 143 in Elmore
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Elmore Fire Station 2, 393 Baltzer Road in Elmore
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Shoal Creek Baptist Church, 13214 Holtville Road in Deatsville
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Deatsville Fire Department, 6930 Hwy 143 in Deatsville
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New Home Baptist Church, 1605 New Home Road in Titus
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Tallassee Police Department, 214 Barnett Blvd in Tallassee
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Tallassee City Hall, 3 Freeman Avenue in Tallassee
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Millbrook Baptist Church, 3431 Browns Road in Millbrook
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First Baptist Eclectic, 203 Claude Road in Eclectic
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Redland Baptist Church, 1266 Dozier Road in Wetumpka
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First Presbyterian Church, 100 West Bridge Street in Wetumpka
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Coosada Town Hall, 5800 Coosada Road in Coosada
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Adullam House Christian School, 7469 Georgia Road in Wetumpka
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Prattville Kindergarten School, 123 ABC Street in Prattville
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Millbrook First Methodist Church, 3350 Edgewood Road in Millbrook
Montgomery County – open at 4 p.m.
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The Church of the Highlands, 4255 Taylor Road in Montgomery
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The Flatwood Community Center, 360 Williams Drive in Montgomery
Autauga County – open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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Prattville Kindergarten School, 123 ABC Street in Prattville
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Marbury High School, 2360 US 31 North in Deatsville
People can also text “Shelter” and your zip code to 43362 for a FEMA list of shelters in their area.
More: Alabama severe weather: Here’s what each alert means, and how to prepare
Storm timing
The timing for severe weather Saturday is as follows:
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Tuscaloosa and west: Noon until 9 p.m.
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An area including the cities if Birmingham, Selma and Gadsden: 2 p.m. until 11 p.m.
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An area including Montgomery, Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka and east: 4 p.m. until 1 a.m.
As of 2 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service in Birmingham was tracking three supercell storms approaching west Alabama from Mississippi that had already produced tornadoes.
Tornado warnings had been issued for the west Alabama cities of Panola, Geiger and Emelle until 3:15 p.m.
Brad Harper, Ken Roberts and Marty Roney contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Updates: Tornado warnings issued as storms rip through Alabama
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