Alabama tornadoes kill five as homes are destroyed and thousands lose power

Utility lines and trees downed in storm that hit small communities south of Birmingham

At least five people have been killed and multiple injuries reported after a string of up to seven deadly tornadoes tore through Alabama, toppling trees, demolishing homes and knocking out power to thousands.

The confirmed deaths were in Calhoun county, in the eastern part of the state, where one of multiple twisters sprang from a super cell" of storms that later moved into Georgia, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham.