Tropical Storm Claudette claimed the lives of 12 people in Alabama as the storm raced through the Southeast, producing flash flooding and tornadoes that damaged hundreds of houses.
Claudette Casualties
According to Butler County Coroner Wayne Garlock, ten individuals were killed in a two-vehicle collision on Saturday, including nine children. Multiple persons were also hurt, according to Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond. The victims have yet to be recognized.
Meanwhile, according to Capt, a 24-year-old man and a 3-year-old kid were killed on Saturday just outside the Tuscaloosa city limits when a tree fell on their house. Marty Sellers of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. The fatalities were not immediately identified by Sellers, and a medical examiner could not be located on Sunday morning.
Stormy Weekend
Late Saturday, heavy storms pummeled parts of northern Alabama and Georgia, resulting in the deaths. Rainfall of much as 12 inches (30 cm) was recorded earlier along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Claudette.
From the Little River Inlet to Duck on the Outer Banks, North Carolina was under a tropical storm warning. In addition, forecasters have issued a tropical storm watch from South Santee River, South Carolina, to the Little River Inlet.
The top winds stayed about 30 mph (45 kph). As it moved out to sea in the Atlantic Ocean, analysts anticipated Claudette will build again to tropical storm status near eastern North Carolina on Monday.
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Affected Areas
Northern Georgia, most of South Carolina, the North Carolina coast, and sections of southeast Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were all under flash flood warnings on Sunday.
Flooding in Northport, Alabama, resulted in the rescue of more than 20 individuals by boat, according to WVUA-TV. According to the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency, local Red Cross volunteers were on-site to assist individuals affected. In Northport, a shelter has been established.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham reported that Village Creek in Birmingham has risen above the flood threshold to 13 feet (4 meters).
The system was roughly 35 kilometers (25 miles) west of Atlanta. In an alert Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center stated that it was heading east-northeast at 13 mph (20 kph).
Early Saturday morning, well after the storm's center of circulation had reached southwest of New Orleans ashore, Claudette was pronounced organized enough to qualify as a designated tropical storm.
Tornado Formations
A probable tornado spawned by the storm destroyed or severely damaged at least 50 homes in a tiny Alabama hamlet just north of the Florida border shortly after the impact.
According to Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson, a suspected tornado "pretty well leveled" a mobile home park, fell trees into houses, and took the roof off a high school gym. The majority of the damage occurred in or near Brewton and East Brewton, Florida, about 48 miles (77 kilometers) north of Pensacola.
"It had an impact on everyone," Jackson added. "However, because those mobile homes are constructed so close together, it may take a toll on them far more than dwellings built further apart."
In southwest Georgia, tornadoes were also recorded.
North Florida was also hit by the hurricane, with gusts hitting 85 mph (137 kph) in some areas, causing one 18-wheeler to tip on its side.
Flooding rains were also dropped north of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana and along the Mississippi coast, inundating streets and forcing water into homes in some locations. Later, the storm drenched the Florida Panhandle and a large swath of Alabama further inland.
According to forecasters, the system may still drop 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain in the region, with isolated accumulations of 8 inches (20 centimeters) likely.
Tropical Storm Dolores in Mexico
Separately, Tropical Storm Dolores made a near-hurricane landfall on Mexico's west coast. However, it has dispersed over Mexico as of Sunday morning. It was located approximately 170 miles (275 kilometers) east of Mazatlan, Mexico, and had maximum sustained winds of 25 mph (35 kph).
Throughout the weekend, heavy rainfall totals of up to 15 inches (38 cm) were anticipated throughout Mexico's southwest and western coasts. As a result, forecasters warned of the possibility of mudslides and flash floods.
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