Tornado damage March 2 central Alabama - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Friday was a hectic weather day for many states, and Alabama didn't escape the wrath. Nationally, at least 28 people are confirmed dead. There are also numerous homes and businesses destroyed or damaged.

LOCAL

In our area, much of the severe weather rolled through late into the evening. Because of that, determining the extent of the damage is a slow process.   

Two survey teams of National Weather Service meteorologists will conduct damage assessments in southern Alabama today to assess the extent of the damage.

These two teams will travel along the path of a long-lived supercell that may have caused damage from Marengo County through Chambers. 

Surveys may also be required over the next several days as times and personnel permit.

The storms were fatal, however.

The Tallapoosa Sheriff's Department reports at least one person dead and two others injured at a house along Hwy 49. This is in the Dadeville/Jackson's Gap area. Search and rescue efforts are under way.

In Dadeville there are also reports of heavy damage around Eagle Creek as well as the Elder and Buttston communities. Rescue personnel are also on the scene at damage in the River Oaks subdivision between Alex City and Dadeville. Specifics are not yet available

In Chilton County, the Emergency Management Agency is reporting at least six homes destroyed or damaged in Verbena and Rockford. There are no reports of fatalities at this time. [MORE: WBRC(video) | Clanton Advertiser]

Alabama Power is estimating 430 in Alexander City, 600 in Clanton and 1,000 in Dadeville without power at this time.

[SLIDESHOW: Central Alabama Storms]

Our crews are working to confirm as much information as possible, and we're planning LIVE weather cut-ins throughout the Today Show. Immediately following Today we'll air a special, one-hour edition of Today in Alabama to update you on any developments relating to damage/fatalities or eyewitness accounts.

As daybreak appears, our meteorologists expect to learn of significant damage from a storm that, for over three hours, produced what is believed to be a long-track tornado that moved from Dallas County all the way across the state and over the Georgia line.

STATEWIDE - HUNTSVILLE/BIRMINGHAM

Earlier Friday, north Alabama was the center of attention. Limestone and Madison counties suffered at least 40 homes destroyed.

Also among the damaged structures was the Limestone Correctional Facility, housing more than 2,100 inmates. Authorities were quick to say that all inmates were accounted for. One bloodhound was reported missing.

NATIONAL

The death toll from Friday's storms continues to rise from states like Indiana and Kentucky. Southern Indiana was one of the hardest hit areas, with storms claiming 14 lives so far. One town in Indiana was said to be "completely gone".

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