EF-2 Tornado Hits Pickens County, Including Prison in Aliceville

The National Weather Service says an EF2 tornado struck rural western Alabama and destroyed more than a dozen homes.

Officials say the tornado struck the town of McMullen in Pickens County Tuesday evening and destroyed 13 homes. Of that number, 10 of the structures were mobile homes.

Federal authorities say a tornado damaged the administration building of a women’s prison in Aliceville, but caused no injuries to inmates or the staff. The U.S. Department of Justice said the administration building is running on generator power at Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville.

Officials said the all of the inmate housing units were running on their normal power source.

The Justice Department said the facility is a low-security female institution and houses about 1,850 inmates.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Stefkovich says survey crews are canvassing other areas of west Alabama where suspected tornadoes struck and will give updates on damage assessments Wednesday afternoon.

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