One of many homes in Lee County damaged by a tornado Sunday, March 3, 2019.
Officials on Tuesday released the names and ages of the 23 tornado victims in Lee County. They range in age from six to 89 years old. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones says the death toll hasn’t increased, but seven to eight people are still missing.
County coroner Bill Harris says the EF-4 tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, killed seven people in one family – alone.
“We believe that every victim was in the residence when the storm hit,” he says.
Overall, four of the deaths were children ages 6, 8, 9, and 10. Close to half of the victims were older than 60. Most of the 90 people injured have been released from the hospital.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Chris Darden says people didn’t have much time to go far. “Right on the county line there probably about five minutes of warning but right here in town there was about eight to nine minutes.”
Darden estimates the Lee County tornado continued into Georgia for about 46 more miles. Three of Sunday’s tornadoes in surrounding counties have also been upgraded to an EF-2.
Beauregard, an unincorporated area of about 10,000 people near the Georgia line, was hardest hit.
One benefit of mobile homes is they tend to be relatively affordable. But these structures can be especially vulnerable during severe weather. Many of the 23 people died in last week's tornado in Lee County lived in mobile homes. Auburn University civil engineering professor David Roueche grew up in one and he wants to make them safer.
Got some furniture to donate? Want to give blood? Here are ways you can help the tornado victims in Lee County.
Teams from the National Weather Service in Birmingham are evaluating the damage from six potential tornadoes that touched down across parts of Alabama Monday. The storms killed at least 23 people in Lee County Sunday.
Crews in Lee County Monday kicked the search and recovery efforts into high gear, as officials expect the injury and death toll to rise.
In Alabama, Lee County was hardest hit by the series of tornadoes that devastated the state. Authorities put the death toll at 23 so far, with dozens still missing.
Several are dead in Lee County after multiple violent tornadoes touched down Sunday in southeast Alabama. The death toll stands at 22 with more expected as search crews look for more victims.
