South Alabama residents endured a tumultuous night as severe weather impacted the region from Thursday into Friday morning. The National Weather Service in Mobile and the Crenshaw County Emergency Management Agency Director Elliot Jones reported widespread impact, with 31 roadway locations affected by fallen trees including South Glenwood Road, Sheep Trail Road, Weed Road, South Glenwood Road, Ivy Creek Road, Darien Church Road, Chapel Hill Road and others. On Opp Highway a car collided with a tree with no reported injuries. There were several road blockages that are all now cleared. 

Crenshaw County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) issued official statements Thursday around 11 a.m. warning of an enhanced risk of severe weather. The forecast predicted multiple rounds of storms, with the main threats being intense straight-line winds exceeding 80 mph, isolated tornadoes and large to potentially very large hail.

Peak power outages reached 1,754. By mid-afternoon Friday, only 183 households remained without power. Residents without power with Pioneer Electric Cooperative and South Alabama Electric Cooperative can submit an outage report or check the status of an existing outage through their provider’s website.

Various volunteer fire departments were dispatched to road blockages and fallen trees in their respective areas including Brantley, Bullock, Chapel Hill, Glenwood, Highland Home, Honoraville, Luverne, North East Crenshaw, Rutledge and Springhill.

The severity of the situation prompted Crenshaw County Schools to delay the start of classes by two hours to allow for road clearance and ensure the safety of students and staff. Efforts to assess and mitigate the aftermath of the storms continue.