6 Hurt as Tornado Whips Through Walmart

Six people suffered minor injuries when a tornado partially collapsed the roof of a Walmart yesterday in Alabama. The storm, which hit the town of Troy shortly before 11pm, caused significant damage to the Walmart roof and destroyed the wall of a nearby sporting goods store. It's unclear how many people were in the Walmart when the tornado hit, but Troy's mayor said it's fortunate the storm struck as late as it did. An 18-wheel truck in the parking lot overturned, and photos on social media showed merchandise strewn in aisles and the ceiling sagging. (See more images at the Troy Messenger.)

The damage comes ahead of what was expected to be a busy back-to-school shopping weekend for the Walmart, and employees of the store are being given the option to work at other locations while repairs are made. Weather scientists who traveled to Troy following the storm have not determined the tornado's size or strength. However, tornadoes of any size are rare for southeast Alabama in August. (More severe weather stories.)