Multiple tornadoes rip through US’ Alabama; 5 killed, thousands left without power

Three members of a family were killed while sheltering in "a wooden structure" in the US town of Ohatchee. Photos showed a line of buildings near Ohatchee that had collapsed or been ripped apart, with roofs sheared off, exposing furniture and other contents.

Several powerful tornadoes tore through northern Alabama on Thursday, killing at least five people, injuring dozens of others and destroying entire neighborhoods. The five confirmed fatalities were in Ohatchee, a town of about 1,200 people in the northwestern corner of the state where a twister ripped apart homes and downed trees and power lines, according to the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency. Calhoun County coroner Pat Brown confirmed to the Gadsden Times newspaper that three of those killed were family members in a house that was hit. In addition, an adult male died in his mobile home, and a female adult died in another mobile home.