Rare December tornadoes slam southern states

Up to six tornadoes slammed four southern states. In Florida, 40 homes were damaged and 12 were completely destroyed. TODAY's Al Roker reports.

By NBC News staff

At least six tornadoes ripped through four southern states Monday evening, blowing over gas pumps and destroying homes.

The hardest hit areas by the unusual December tornadoes were in Florida and Alabama. 

In Edgewater, Fla., 40 homes were damaged and 12 completely destroyed. There were two people with minor injuries but no deaths, the Edgewater Fire Department reported. Most of the damage was inside Terra Mar Village, a mobile home community.

The city firehouse in Gonzales, La., was badly damaged by one of the tornadoes. The fire crew, which was out at the time, was forced to return to the building, The Weather Channel reported.

Advertise | AdChoices

Wind from the tornado blew through the firehouse’s back doors and blew out the front of the building. Inmates were sent out by the sheriff's office to help clean up the wreckage.

In Alabama, there were no reported injuries or deaths, the Birmingham Fire Department reported, but a gas station off I-165 had its pumps blown over. 

The Weather Channel reported widespread tree damage and structural damages to buildings in other areas of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.  

The forecast for Tuesday calls for a slight risk of tornadoes in areas stretching from Daytona Beach to Fort Meyers, Fla. Damaging winds, spotty hail and three to four inches of rainfall are expected.

Please check back for more on this developing story.

More content from NBCNews.com:

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

134comments
Explore related topics: , , , , ,

Most popular posts