BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A man who survived a tornado with his family got a second shock when his roof caved in on live TV.
Homeowner Clint Thornton told WBRC-TV that he was about to leave for work when he saw a funnel cloud.
“I turned the key to go out the door. I could see the funnel and all kinds of debris. It was heading right toward our house,” said Thornton.
Thornton was able to get to safety into a closet with his wife, where he said they started praying.
Thornton, who was uninjured, was describing how his family hid from the storm with WIAT when yelling was heard from inside the home and pieces of the living room ceiling began raining down on family members.
The National Weather Service has confirmed that storm damage Monday morning in Birmingham was caused by a tornado with maximum winds estimated at 90 mph.
The tornado was part of a system of rain and thunder storms that hit Alabama on Monday. National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Westland said the line of severe storms was cause by a cold front that moved into the state. Highs in the state were mostly in the 70s, but were expected to plummet into the low 50s Tuesday.
Tornadoes are most common in Alabama in the spring. But Westland said it is not uncommon for tornadoes to form in November and December, which he called the state’s secondary tornado season.
With AP