A tornado described as “large and extremely dangerous” by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham, Alabama, ripped through a hotel late Monday night.
Video from CNN affiliate WVTM shows that the Hampton Inn in Fultondale, which is located just north of Birmingham, sustained significant damage during the storm. The affiliate reported that guests staying at the hotel were able to escape the building.
NWS Birmingham said in a tweet that they are monitoring reports “after a tornado impacted the Fultondale area of Jefferson Co. a short time ago.”
“Significant damage has been reported. We will inspect the damage to determine the strength of the tornado,” NWS Birmingham said.
Earlier, the agency said on Twitter, “At 10:54 PM CST, a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Chalkville, or near Trussville, moving east at 50 mph.”
A tornado warning was issued Monday night for Jefferson County, Alabama, NWS Birmingham said in a tweet. The agency has since issued tornado warnings and watches for several counties as the line of storms moves northeast through the state.
A tornado watch remains in effect for parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
