Dozens dead after tornadoes rip through Midwest, South

NEW: 15 are dead in Indiana, 12 in Kentucky and one in Ohio, authorities say National Guard troops are deployed in Kentucky, others are ready in Indiana A toddler girl is found without ID in a field in Indiana, authorities say A National Weather Service meteorologist calls the twister outbreak "crazy" Are you there? Send us photos and video. Check out CNN affiliates WLEX, WTHR, WHNT, WAFF, WAAY, KFVS, KTVI, WAVE, WLKY, WDRB and WHAS on the latest on the storms in the South and the Midwest. Find out how to help storm victims with Impact Your World. (CNN) -- A devastating storm system moved across the United States on Friday, spawning a slew of tornadoes that contributed to at least 28 fatalities in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. National Weather Service meteorologist John Gordon reported Friday afternoon the agency had about "half a dozen reports of tornadoes on the ground," as well as reports of "significant damage" -- making his comments before some of the worst twisters were reported. "This is an enormous outbreak that's going on right now across Kentucky and the South," Gordon said. "It's crazy. It's just nuts right here." var currExpandable="expand14"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/03/02/von-cnn-ooltewah-tn-tornado-damage.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120302115624-marciano-ooltewah-tennessee-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand14Store=mObj; Well built homes 'wiped' to the ground var currExpandable="expand24"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/03/02/vo-wfie-evansville-tornado.wfie'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120302101301-vo-wfie-evansville-tornado-00001521-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand24Store=mObj; Possible funnel cloud captured on camera var currExpandable="expand34"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/03/02/tsr-mayor-mike-moore-tornado-town-gone.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120302101333-tsr-mayor-mike-moore-tornado-town-gone-00012305-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand34Store=mObj; Mayor: 'Neighboring town is gone' var currExpandable="expand44"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/03/02/exp-early-grandparents-survive.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120302115251-exp-early-grandparents-survive-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand44Store=mObj; Girls describe grandparents' escape Southern Indiana was particularly hard hit, with Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesman John Erickson saying three had died in Jefferson County as a result. Sgt. Rod Russell with the Indiana State Police said later that three people also were killed in Scott County. In addition, Emergency Management Director Leslie Cavanaugh of Clark County -- which has about 110,000 people -- reported one death. Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams added that a man was found dead in his car several miles outside Henryville. "We've g
ot total devastation in the north-ceindntral part of the county (and) widespread damage from the west to the east," added Adams. "We are inundated with calls." At least 15 people were killed across Indiana, authorities said. Aerial footage from CNN affiliate WLKY showed structures torn to shreds and large swaths of trees knocked down in Henryville, about 20 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. Other aerial images showed similar devastation in St. Paul, Indiana. Several officials -- including Jeffersonville, Indiana, Mayor Mike Moore, U.S. Sen. Dan Coats and Adams -- indicated that the town of Marysville suffered especially significant damage. Cavanaugh also said that the local high school, Henryville Junior-Senior High School, had been "demolished." According to Sara Reschar, an administrative assistant for the West Clark Community Schools, "students were already out of the school when the storm hit" -- having been dismissed about 15 minutes earlier. Adams said there were some "scrapes and scratches," but no serious injuries as a result. Authorities used thermal imaging equipment, search dogs and other means Friday night to look for a 9-year-old boy in Henryville whose whereabouts was unknown after the tornadoes came through, Adams said. Amid the devastation, there was also some hope -- in the form of a 20-month-old girl found alone, and without identification, in a field in Salem, about 20 miles from Henryville. Adam said the girl was intubated and then flown to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. He said that people since had called in to identify the girl, while adding he did not know her current condition. About four hours after the National Weather Service said a twister touched down in Indiana's Posey County, Gov. Mitch Daniels said crews "are racing the nightfall" to assess the damage and help those in need. Sgt. First Class Tina Eichenour of the Indiana National Guard said that roughly 250 troops have been called to duty, destined for towns such as Henryville and Marysville. "I am constantly amazed by both the unpredictability and the ferocity that Mother Nature can unleash, when she chooses to," Daniels said of the severe weather. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 27px 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery171=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery171.setImageCount(28); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Tornadoes take deadly toll", 1); A tornado touched down in Madison County, Alabama, on Friday, causing widespread damage. The powerful storm system is moving across the United States, causing tornadoes from Alabama to Indiana and threatening more destruction. In Indiana, at least five deaths were reported. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} A tornado in Ooltewah,Tennessee, left this home destroyed on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Debris is strewn as far as the eye can see in Ooltewah. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Meridianville, Alabama, was hit hard by Friday's storm system. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Tornado-force winds sheered this telephone pole in Madison County, Alabama. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Behind this once welcoming exterior in Madison County lies the ruins of a home struck by Friday's storm. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} iRepoterer Blair Scott took this photo of damaged cars at Buckhorn High School in Hunstville, Alabama, after the school was hit by one of Friday's tornadoes. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Keith Huke, right, remained in the bed to his left, escaping with no injuries from the tornado that tore apart his home in Harrisburg, Illinois. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Utility workers try to restore electricity to a tornado-damaged section of Harrisburg on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Dale Barnfield, left, and his niece Linda Mayberry wait for an insurance adjuster outside Barnfield's tornado-damaged home in Harrisburg. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":10,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Harrisburg residents continue to clean up after Thursday's tornado. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":11,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} A Harrisburg neighborhood lies in ruins Thursday after a tornado tore through the town. A monster storm system killed six people in Harrisburg and left at least seven others dead in two other states. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":12,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} A truck appears twisted like a toy Thursday in the storm's aftermath in Harrisburg. A tornado with winds up to 180 mph thrashed the southern Illinois town early Wednesday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":13,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Angela Davis, an iReporter from Marion, Illinois, went to Harrisburg after the storm because she said she has friends and family there. "It was kind of surreal," Davis wrote of the destruction. "We saw silos picked up/thrown around, gas pipes from gas stations, a truck wrapped around the tree." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":14,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Up to 300 houses were damaged or destroyed in Harrisburg, authorities said. The tornado had a preliminary rating of EF4, the second most powerful on the rating scale, the National Weather Service said. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":15,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Steve McDonald inspects what's left of his mother-in-law's house in Harrisburg. His in-law, Mary Osman, was among four women and two men killed in the hard-hit town. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":16,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Josh Summers searches for his possessions after the tornado ripped through his Harrisburg neighborhood. The twister appeared to have been on the ground for several miles, a city official said. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":17,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} The powerful storm leaves cars tossed about among collapsed houses and other debris Wednesday in Harrisburg. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":18,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Downed trees crush a truck Wednesday after a tornado hit in Harveyville, Kansas. A state of emergency was declared in the town about 20 miles southwest of Topeka. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":19,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Douglas Osman sifts through the wreckage of his grandmother's house Wednesday in Harrisburg. His grandmother, Mary Osman, was one of six people killed in the Illinois town. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":20,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Carolyn Osman surveys the wreckage of the tornado that took her mother-in-law's life in Harrisburg, where some 100 people were also injured. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":21,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Levi Fogle helps girlfriend Sarah Pearce leave a damaged house in Harrisburg. Fogle, Pearce and her three daughters went unharmed in the storm. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":22,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} John Bonenberger checks out damage to a Harrisburg strip mall where his business was located. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":23,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} A house in Harrisburg lies in ruins in the tornado's aftermath. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":24,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} An old family photo survives the destruction in Buffalo, Missouri. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":25,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} The storm leaves a car battered in the music resort town of Branson, Missouri, in a photo from iReporter Danny Gassaway. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":26,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Aerial photos taken by Air Evac Lifeteam in Stoddard County, Missouri, show the scope of storm damage. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":27,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} A tornado razed this house and above-ground swimming pool in Stoddard County. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":17,"y":1,"pos":28,"title":"Tornadoes take deadly toll"} Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll Tornadoes take deadly toll HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 > >> Tornadoes take deadly toll Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); var currExpandable="expand217"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/03/03/von-storm-nashville-hail.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120303121549-von-storm-nashville-hail-00004322-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand217Store=mObj; Heavy hail pummels Nashville var currExpandable="expand317"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/03/02/vo-alabama-tornado-damage.waff'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120302053343-vo-alabama-tornado-damage-00003715-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand317Store=mObj; Apparent tornado damages Alabama homes His counterpart in Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear, on Friday declared a statewide emergency to facilitate local authorities' access to state resources. The governor has authorized the deployment of 50 National Guard troops to go to Morgan County to join a 12-person search and rescue team out of Lexington. What to do during tornado watches, warnings "The storm system hasn't cleared Kentucky yet, but we obviously have reports of some heavy damage," Beshear told CNN's Erin Burnett. At least 12 people were killed in Kentucky tied to Friday's severe weather, authorities said. Shawn Harley, from the National Weather Service, confirmed that people were trapped in damaged buildings after a large tornado struck the small town of West Liberty in eastern Kentucky. There was no immediate word on casualties as a result. Chuck Wolfe, a spokesman for the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency, said state authorities had lost contact with the town. Wolfe said officials believe the town "got hit pretty heavily." Beshear is expected to visit West Liberty to assess the damage Saturday. Separately, a man in his 50s was found dead in his mobile home in Bethel, Ohio, the Clermont County Commissioners said in a press release. In Tennessee, severe weather was responsible for critical injuries of as many as eight people in the cities of Harrison and Oolteweh, officials there said. The storm brought golf-ball-size hail, strong winds and rain into the two northeast Alabama counties before continuing on a northeastward path into Tennessee. Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Jeremy Heidt said there were reports of possible tornado touchdowns in nine counties total. At least 29 people were injured across the state, according to Dean Flener, also with TEMA. Between 40 and 50 homes in Hamilton County, Tennessee, have "significant damage that we know about," the county's Chief of Emergency Management Bill Tittle told CNN. Reporting from that area near Chattanooga, CNN's Rob Marciano observed a continuous stretch of damage about 200 yards wide that ripped what had been brick-and-mortar homes down to their foundations. Tittle said that there are 24 reported injuries and, while none of them appears to be life-threatening, he acknowledged that "we have not reached all the homes." "We obviously have lots of debris, homes with roof damage, streets that are impassable that we have crews cutting down trees with chainsaws in order to get emergency vehicles through, and as of now our crews are just going door-to-door on foot," said Amy Maxwell, Hamilton County, Tennessee, emergency management spokeswoman. Maxwell later said six to 10 people were at local hospitals after suffering injuries, and a triage area was set up at Ooltewah High School to treat patients on the scene. Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said a touchdown of a tornado had been confirmed, though he expressed optimism that sound preparation and safety measures appeared thus far to prevent any deaths. var currExpandable="expand134"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/03/01/bts-ky-storm-survivor.wsmv'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120301083616-bts-ky-storm-survivor-00004508-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand134Store=mObj; Man survives trailer flipping 5 times var currExpandable="expand234"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/03/01/exp-early-branson-mayor.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120301105610-exp-early-branson-mayor-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand234Store=mObj; Branson mayor: We were fortunate var currExpandable="expand334"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/03/01/exp-early-stewart-harrisburg.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120301102518-exp-early-stewart-harrisburg-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand334Store=mObj; Harrisburg hopeful despite damage var currExpandable="expand434"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/03/01/natpkg-tornado-day-2.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120301093716-natpkg-tornado-day-2-00011510-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand434Store=mObj; Survivor: 'Half the roof was coming off' "We're just working diligently at this hour to try to make sure that everyone is accounted for," Coppinger told CNN. "And hopefully we'll be able to escape (without fatalities)." Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said there have been seven injuries and about 40 homes destroyed but no fatalities after two tornadoes touched down in his state Friday morning. This Just In: Harrisburg's path of destruction "The April 27 tornado and the track of the two this morning were exactly the same," Bentley told CNN, referring to last year's twisters that left at least 238 dead. Both Buckhorn High School in Madison County and the Limestone County Correctional Facility in an adjacent Alabama county were hit Friday. There was also widespread damage in Madison County, the National Weather Service said, and some injuries were reported, according to a local ambulance service. The Madison County Emergency Management Agency confirmed that a rain-wrapped tornado was spotted near the Harvest area, just northwest of Huntsville, which itself was hit hard by a tornado last year. Toddler found alone in field "The key thing that let me know it was serious was the loud wind," said Hovet Dixon of Harvey, Alabama. "It almost seemed like it was trying to lift my roof off." The warden for the Limestone Correctional Facility, Dorothy Goode, said the prison was hit by the storm. All prisoners -- the facility holds about 2,200 -- were accounted for, she said. Storms are expected to begin to weaken during the late evening as they move east toward the Appalachians. The severe weather threat should diminish overnight Friday into Saturday morning, Morris said. These tornadoes follow an earlier outbreak that began Tuesday night and left 13 dead across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee and battered parts of Kentucky. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Susan Candiotti, Larry Shaughnessy, Nick Valencia, Kristina Sgueglia, Carma Hassan, Moni Basu, John Murgatroyd, Melanie Whitley, Joe Sterling, Dave Alsup, Logan Burruss and Kara Devlin contributed to this report.

Dozens dead after tornadoes rip through Midwest, South 2012-03-02T23:15:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Undercover 999