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ATLANTA — Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama declared a state of emergency on Friday as heavy rain and flooding paralyzed areas in the central and northern parts of the state.
After the governor’s declaration, a tornado touched down in southwest Birmingham, where city officials said at least one person was injured. Lt. Sean Edwards, a spokesman for the Birmingham police, said he knew of no fatalities.
Mayor William A. Bell Sr. of Birmingham said on Friday night in an interview that in the neighborhood where the tornado struck, about six houses were damaged. Two homes, he said, appeared to have been “completely demolished.”
Mr. Bell said Birmingham officials remained concerned about the possibility of flooding, adding that the authorities were making preparations to deploy rescue boats if needed.
“This is torrential rain that is coming down,” he said.
Mississippi officials confirmed another death — the state’s eighth — in this week’s weather. The Mississippi death pushes the regional toll to 15, including six fatalities in Tennessee and one in Arkansas. The newly reported death was in Coahoma County, which had not previously reported any fatalities.
