Tornado hammers Washington County, kills 2, injures many others, destroys 'a lot of homes'

WASHINGTON COUNTY — A tornado touched down in the early-morning hours Thursday in Washington County, killing two people and injuring multiple others.

Several homes were destroyed by the tornado in Alford and the surrounding areas and power lines are down, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

"It was confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Gilberts Mill area," said Kristy Kolmez, Washington County Sheriff's Office public information officer. "A lot of homes were destroyed."

More coverage of today's severe weather

► TORNADO IN ALFORD, FLA.: 2 dead, homes destroyed. Here's what we know.

► LIVE UPDATES: Extreme weather hits Big Bend; tornado kills two in Washington County

► 'I feel like I lost everything': Alford residents left heartbroken after deadly tornado

► Tornado damage tracker: View our interactive map to see impacts and damage reports

Kolmez said she did not have an exact number of injuries or structures that were destroyed.

"I just know there's a lot of damage out there," she said. "There is debris, total destruction of homes out there and just across the road from where you have a home totally destroyed, it looks like not even the wind blew. It's terrible out there this morning."

Mark Wool, warning coordination meteorologist for the Weather Service, said the two people who were killed were inside the same mobile home on Gilberts Mill Road. A photo taken by local law enforcement shows the home obliterated.

Wool said the area was under an enhanced risk for severe weather and that officials were concerned it would hit in morning darkness when people were still asleep.

"If you live in a mobile home or a residence that is not going to stand up to the wind — and there are a lot of those in the rural part of the state — you need to have a way to be alerted when the tornado warning comes out," he said. "Otherwise you'll sleep through it. And I suspect that's what happened here."

The same tornado tracked into Jackson County, where it overturned a truck on Interstate 10 south of Cottondale, Wool said.

Weather Service officials said they could not say how powerful the tornado was or how long it was on the ground. Meteorologists will conduct damage assessments on Friday.

The Weather Service reported three injuries from the tornado so far.

The Red Cross at about 11 a.m. opened a location at the Orange Hill Community Center/Fire Department, 1927 Orange Hill Road in Chipley, Kolmez said.

Meteorologist Jim Cantore tweets about Alford tornado

Soon after the Thursday morning tornado, meteorologist Jim Cantore reported the "very sad news" coming out of Alford, saying two people were killed, three injured and two homes were destroyed.

Weather radar for Washington County

Where is Washington County, Florida?

Washington County is located in the northwestern portion of Florida. Located in the Panhandle, the county seat is Chipley.

Can't see the map? Try here.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida tornado leaves 2 dead, destroys 'a lot of homes'