Topline
Despite being downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Saturday, people across the Gulf Coast experienced heavy rains, destructive flash flooding and tornadoes as Claudette made landfall over the weekend and resulted in at least 12 deaths in Alabama, officials said.
Debris sits along a creek and roadway in Northport, Alabama, Sunday after Tropical Depression ... [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
In Butler County, located southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, 10 people died in a 15-car highway pileup Saturday that officials believe was caused when vehicles hydroplaned on wet roads.
Nine of the victims were children, and eight had been on their way to Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch, a youth ranch for girls in foster care who have been abused or abandoned.
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones called the collision “one of the most terrible traffic accidents” he’s ever seen in a statement Sunday, adding it may be the worst in county history.
About 150 miles away, a 24-year-old man and his 3-year-old son were also killed after a tree fell on their home Saturday night in Tuscaloosa County, according to the Tuscaloosa News.
The surrounding area was flooded by the storm and officials told the newspaper they received calls of mudslides and people trapped in their homes and vehicles as rain beat down.
Key Background
Claudette was the first tropical storm to hit the U.S. this year, but the National Hurricane Center downgraded Claudette’s designation to a tropical depression Saturday as Claudette slowed. States hit the hardest by heavy rains and strong winds included Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. Experts believe Claudette will pick up again by Monday, and will likely be re-classified as a tropical storm. People living near the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina have been placed under storm watches and warnings as Claudette makes its way up north along the coast.
Further Reading
Gulf Coast Bracing For First Tropical Storm To Hit U.S. In 2021 (Forbes)