A tornado that impacted central Alabama Thursday moved through the city of Selma, causing what witnesses describe as catastrophic damage.
The mayor pleaded with residents, asking them to stay off the roads moments after the twister damaged the town.
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“Selma has received significant damage from the tornado,” the office of Mayor James Perkins, Jr. wrote on Facebook. “Citizens please refrain from traveling the roadways and stay away from down power lines.”
The tornado is believed to have impacted the northern side of downtown.
Some residents say the tornado appeared to be a mile wide.
Lachandra Sturdivant witnessed the tornado from a Selma coffee shop.
“It’s horrible through here,” she said. “The power’s off, they’re trying to cut trees out of the roads to open a way for people to get around.”
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Sturdivant told FOX Weather she was waiting in her car as roads were blocked.
“We could hear the train — the tornado sounds like a train just roaring through,” she told FOX Weather. “It just started ripping trees, roofs off buildings. Stuff was just everywhere.”
Multiple Tornado Emergencies were issued throughout the state Thursday. The National Weather Service in Birmingham plans to survey the area later this evening and into Friday.