Severe weather rakes Southeast; 2 dead in Alabama

Severe weather tore across the Southeast early Monday, killing at least two people, injuring more than 100 and spreading damage through several states, emergency officials said.

The two fatalities reported were near Birmingham, Alabama, according to Sgt. Jack Self of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

One was a 16-year-old in Clay, northeast of the city, and the second was an 82-year-old man in the Oak Grove community west of Birmingham, Self said.

The teenager was a female, Self said, although the fatality was initially reported as a male. Authorities believe the same storm, which struck about 3:30 a.m., was responsible for both deaths, he said.

At least 100 injuries were reported, from cuts and bruises to broken bones, Self said.

And at least 211 homes were destroyed and 218 suffered major damage in Jefferson County, according to Alabama Red Cross spokesman Chris Olson. That number is expected to rise.

Emergency crews were working to locate people who may be trapped or injured and to clear roads, several of which were impassable, the sheriff's office said.

Video from the Center Point area, also northeast of Birmingham near Clay, showed numerous downed trees, some on top of homes. People had to step over trees as they made their way down a residential street.

"The whole house just shook," Mary Mann told CNN affiliate WVTM. "We were all in the back bedroom praying to God to put his angels around us. We made it out, but ... the devastation."

One resident told WVTM he and his family had sought shelter in his home's basement when the house's front door came "flying by us. We made it just in the nick of time."

The man, who was not identified, grew emotional as he told the station, "We've lost our house, but at least ... we've got our family, and that's all that matters right now."

A photo from one Clay subdivision showed a number of homes heavily damaged or destroyed, with debris strewn across the neighborhood and trees snapped in half.

Several organizations, including the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, said on Twitter they were sending teams to aid storm victims. Several shelters were open in Jefferson County, the sheriff's office said.

Terri Nichols spoke to CNN in Clay, where she was helping neighbors sort through the debris.

"As bad as it looks, they're fortunate that they have their lives," she said, standing amid piles of wood that had once been homes.

Damage was also reported in Perry and Chilton counties, south of Birmingham in the central part of the state. Some 14 homes were destroyed and 38 homes damaged in the Chilton County town of Maplesville, the county's emergency management agency said, but no one was injured.

Art Faulkner, director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, told CNN officials are focused on several areas, including Center Point, Oak Grove and the town of Trussville, also northeast of Birmingham, as well as Maplesville. Search and rescue operations were ongoing, he said.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency for all of Alabama's 67 counties, meaning state resources can be called upon to assist local officials, Faulkner said.

In all, seven Alabama counties reported storm damage, with the majority in Jefferson and Chilton counties, said Yasamie August of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

As of 2 p.m. on Monday, fewer than 15,000 customers statewide were without power -- roughly 10,000 in Jefferson County, 2,500 in the Chilton County city of Clanton and another 1,500 in Prattville -- Alabama Power said on Twitter.