Tornadoes 2011: at Least 6 Killed Wednesday After Twisters Swipe Through US
At least six people have been killed and dozens more injured in thunderstorms and tornadoes that swiped through the Southeast of the United States Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
Suspected tornadoes were reported Wednesday in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. Dozens of homes and buildings were wrecked and thousands of people were without power as multiple power lines were damaged.
In South Carolina, three people were killed and five injured when a likely tornado swept through a rural community about 20 miles south of Charlotte, N.C, the AP reported.
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In Georgia, a man was reportedly killed when a tree fell over his vehicle.
Another victim in North Carolina reportedly died after being crushed by a falling chimney.
In York County, S.C., authorities have asked Gov. Nikki Haley for state assistance in cleaning up the debris, the AP reports.
A South Carolina man described how he and his wife survived the tornado in the closet. Henry Taylor, 51, told the AP he saw the tornado warning flash on his TV screen, and immediately afterward, after looking out the window and noticing the funnel, he and his wife jumped into the closet, where they survived unharmed while their house was being ravaged.
"I guess it wasn't our time," Taylor told the news agency Thursday. "I guess God helped us."
A total of 23 tornadoes were reported across the South on Wednesday, though that might include different people reporting the same funnel, experts say.
The search for potential victims still continues.
In North Carolina, thermal imaging equipment was used overnight as the searchers combed fields and wooded areas in two counties, looking for possible victims, Charlotte Observer reported.
Storm damage was also reported in Cleveland, Rowan and Randolph counties of North Carolina.
