HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — About 25,000 Huntsville Utilities customers were left without power midday Friday as a fast-moving system of severe thunderstorms raked across North Alabama. Wind gusts of at least 50 mph were expected as the storms crossed the counties.
By 8 p.m. Friday, Huntsville Utilities, Decatur Utilities, and Athens Utilities had a collective 10,000 customers still without power, with the total dwindling slowly.
Damage reports included many tree limbs knocked free and blown across roads. Photos sent to FOX54 included a tree limb that had fallen across a car.
In another documented incident, a family-size trampoline was found blown into a ditch across the street from the North Huntsville branch public library off Sparkman Drive.
Tornado warnings were issued for some counties as the storms passed. The National Weather Service later confirmed two EF-1 tornadoes in Jackson County from the storm system.
A total of three confirmed tornadoes struck North Alabama in a 72-hours period; the first EF-1 confirmed was from Wednesday's storm in Madison County.
One person was killed after a tree fell on him while cleaning up after Friday's storm. It is currently the only reported death connected with any of this week's storms.
A High Wind Warning placed across North Alabama expired at 6 p.m. Friday. A River Flood Warning remains in effect for Madison County through late Saturday evening.
