Alabama Storm Damage: What 2 Tornadoes Did To Shelby County

SHELBY COUNTY, AL — Persevering through one tornado is hard enough for any area — in a lifetime — but having to face two tornadoes in the same day is simply brutal. That is exactly what Shelby County had to endure Thursday.

The county was hit by two tornadoes roughly four hours apart Thursday, and while they hit somewhat different parts of the county, residents and county officials are all feeling the same pain Friday.

The northern portion of the county was hit early in the day, plowing through the Oak Mountain area, Eagle Point, Greystone and Dunnavant, among other communities, causing damage to nearly 300 homes. About four hours later, another tornado crossed through the middle of the county, ransacking communities like Calera and Columbiana.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency said an initial assessment of the damage from Thursday's storms showed extensive property damage, but fortunately no fatalities or life-threatening injuries.

• No reported fatalities.
• 7 people were injured and treated.
• Between 30 to 50 homes have been damaged in the Pelham area.
• At least 12 homes have been damaged in the Helena area.
• In northern Shelby County along the Highway 280 and Highway 41 corridors, 57 homes have been destroyed or heavily damaged, and 279 homes have either moderate or light damage.
• Highway 119 (Cahaba Valley Road) is currently closed in both directions between Caldwell Mill Road and Cahaba Valley Trace (County Road 14).

The Shelby County EMA said homes have also been damaged or destroyed in the Calera and Columbiana areas, but the agency has no assessment data for these areas yet.

Some donation locations have been set up to help the tornado victims, but Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego said one way people can help with the aftermath of these storms is to avoid these areas and allow crews and county officials to finish recovery efforts.

"These storms have caused a tremendous amount of property damage in Shelby County and around the entire State of Alabama," Samaniego said. "We are thankful that we have no reported fatalities in our county at the moment, and we pray that number does not change. My heart goes out to all of those effected by this natural disaster, and I want everyone to know that our office is working around the clock with other agencies and volunteers to assist with damage control, recovery, and the protection of damaged areas."

Local churches and volunteer organizations are working to create lists of volunteers that may be used for coordinated efforts in the future, he said.