alabama power outage forces state of emergency as hundreds of thousands remain without power after severe storms
COBB COUNTY, Georgia — At least 150,000 residents across central and northern Alabama are without electricity Tuesday morning after a powerful line of severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings swept through the region overnight, prompting Governor Kay Ivey to declare a state of emergency for 12 counties. The widespread alabama power outage began around 11 p.m. Monday when wind gusts exceeding 70 miles per hour downed transmission lines and toppled trees onto substations, causing cascading failures from Birmingham to Huntsville. Alabama Power Company reported 1,200 separate outage events, with the heaviest damage concentrated in Jefferson and Madison counties. Emergency management officials are advising residents to avoid downed power lines and to treat all intersections without traffic signals as four-way stops. The National Weather Service has confirmed at least three possible tornado touchdowns in Hale and Tuscaloosa counties, where structural damage has been reported. Utilities estimate that full restoration for some rural areas will extend into Wednesday evening. The White House confirmed that federal resources have been placed on standby for debris removal and generator support.