Severe Weather On Wednesday Leaves Record Number Dead In South

Wednesday and Wednesday night proved to be a devastating and deadly period for those across the Southeastern United States. A wedge tornado that originated in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and ripped across Alabama into Northwestern Georgia, devastated the towns of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham in Alabama, and Ringgold and Rome in Georgia. The storm, which was about a mile wide, and had winds in excess of 200 miles per hour, traveled some 300 miles.

In total, there were 164 reports of tornadoes across 13 states from Mississippi to New York. As of 12:00 PM EDT, there were over 230 people dead from these storms in what was a severe weather outbreak that may even surpass the memorable outbreak from April 4-5, 1974. These storms also produced devastating straight line winds and hail. Approximately 128 people are dead in Alabama including 37 in Tuscaloosa. The town, which is the home of the University of Alabama, suffered catastrophic damage, but the university emerged relatively unscathed from the devastating twister. There are another 11 dead in Georgia with many of those deaths occurring in the town of Ringgold.

These storms have pushed eastward as the outbreak has reached its fourth day. Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado warnings are now in effect across parts of New Jersey. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Northeastern Maryland. Places along the I-95 corridor such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The storms have lost some punch, but a severe storm cell with rotation is now moving through Northern New Jersey while another is pushing through Western Jersey.