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| US tornadoes kills 13 in Alabama | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Tornadoes have killed at least 13 people in the US state of Alabama. | |
| One tornado wrecked a school building in the town of Enterprise, killing eight people as it tore off a roof and tipped over cars. | |
| Another five people died at a mobile home park in Miller's Ferry, and dozens more were taken to hospital, as a major storm system threatens several states. | |
| President George W Bush has offered federal help to the states of Alabama and Missouri. | |
| The US Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a rare "major severe weather outbreak" warning for the eastern third of the US for the next 24 hours. | The US Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a rare "major severe weather outbreak" warning for the eastern third of the US for the next 24 hours. |
| A child was reported to have been killed as some of the first tornadoes touched down in Missouri around dawn on Thursday. | A child was reported to have been killed as some of the first tornadoes touched down in Missouri around dawn on Thursday. |
| Tornadoes have also been reported in Arkansas and Kansas, damaging houses, mobile homes and service stations, and an electricity substation in Linn County on the Missouri-Kansas border. | |
| Linn County Sheriff Marvin Stites said some people had been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere, but that "we're still small enough where neighbour takes care of neighbour". | Linn County Sheriff Marvin Stites said some people had been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere, but that "we're still small enough where neighbour takes care of neighbour". |
| Whiteouts | Whiteouts |
| The severe weather formed a band of storms stretching from Minnesota in the north to Louisiana on the Gulf Coast. | The severe weather formed a band of storms stretching from Minnesota in the north to Louisiana on the Gulf Coast. |
| It has moved from the west, where it has already dumped several feet of snow from Washington state to Colorado, but is now being fuelled by moist air being sucked up from the Gulf of Mexico. | It has moved from the west, where it has already dumped several feet of snow from Washington state to Colorado, but is now being fuelled by moist air being sucked up from the Gulf of Mexico. |
| The SPC said severe weather was now likely "across the lower Ohio valley, lower and mid-Mississippi valley, eastward across the Gulf and Atlantic coastal states". | The SPC said severe weather was now likely "across the lower Ohio valley, lower and mid-Mississippi valley, eastward across the Gulf and Atlantic coastal states". |
| A child is reported to have been killed in Missouri | A child is reported to have been killed in Missouri |
| It also forecast tornadoes "some of which may be strong and long-tracked... especially across eastern Mississippi and Alabama". | It also forecast tornadoes "some of which may be strong and long-tracked... especially across eastern Mississippi and Alabama". |
| Jack Hales, lead forecaster at the SPC in Norman, Oklahoma, said it was unusual to issue a warning for such a large area. | Jack Hales, lead forecaster at the SPC in Norman, Oklahoma, said it was unusual to issue a warning for such a large area. |
| However, "it is very difficult to predict where long-track tornadoes will form", he told BBC News. | However, "it is very difficult to predict where long-track tornadoes will form", he told BBC News. |
| Meanwhile, "there are big snowstorms now in Nebraska and Iowa - that's the backside of this major, major storm". | Meanwhile, "there are big snowstorms now in Nebraska and Iowa - that's the backside of this major, major storm". |
| Whiteout conditions caused roads across Nebraska to be shut down. | Whiteout conditions caused roads across Nebraska to be shut down. |
| He said this winter in the US had been particularly volatile. | He said this winter in the US had been particularly volatile. |
| "We've had two or three severe storm episodes in the last few months. The potential is there for [more] very serious storms. It's pretty early -1 March - though it has happened before like this in the records." | "We've had two or three severe storm episodes in the last few months. The potential is there for [more] very serious storms. It's pretty early -1 March - though it has happened before like this in the records." |
| Have you been affected? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below: | Have you been affected? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below: |
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