The tornado that ripped through Selma on Thursday had winds of more than 100 mph, according to a National Weather Service official.
John DeBlock, NWS warning coordination meteorologist, told the Selma Sun on Thursday that there is a lot of damage around town, and the damage indicates winds "in excess of 100 mph," which would indicate at least an EF-2 tornado.
DeBlock said they will be on the ground Friday to survey the damage and measure width, length and magnitude and give an official rating of the storm.
The National Weather Service first issued the tornado warning for Dallas County at 11:32 a.m. when a storm coming out of Wilcox County showed signs of rotation, the NWS spokesman said. At 12:15 p.m., the radar showed a debris signature and NWS experts determined there was a radar-confirmed tornado on the ground. By 12:19, they put a "debris considerable" tag on the storm as the debris registered at 16,000 feet in the atmosphere.
There are no reported fatalities so far, but there were about 25 injuries, according to Selma Acting Fire Chief Franklin Edwards. One person with a serious injury was transported to Birmingham.
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