4th Grader Among Dead After Tornadoes Devastate Alabama

LEE COUNTY, AL — A fourth-grader who attended a private school in Auburn has been identified as one of 23 people who died when a powerful tornado barreled into Lee County on Sunday afternoon. Lee-Scott Academy, an independent school with about 700 students ranging from pre-K to 12th grade, on Monday identified Taylor Thornton as one of the victims.

"With sadness this morning, we share that Taylor Thornton, a 4th grader at Lee-Scott Academy, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus as the result of the severe weather event in Lee County yesterday," the school wrote in a Facebook post. "Our hearts at Lee-Scott Academy are broken this morning. Please pray for the Thornton family, our students, faculty, and staff during this difficult time."

A GoFundMe account created to help the family with funeral costs and other expenses raised more than $24,000 in about 7 hours. The poster, Kaitlyn Willing, said Taylor was "an amazing example of a child of God."

"She brought so much joy to all that knew her," the post said. "She was loved dearly and will forever be missed."

Taylor was one of three children known to have died in the devastating storms. Officials said they were 6, 9 and 10 years old. Relatives identified the youngest as 6-year-old Armando "A.J." Hernandez.

Chris Darden of the National Weather Service in Birmingham said preliminary information indicates the tornado was an EF-4. He called it a "monster tornado,"that packed estimated wind speeds of 170 mph and stretched nearly a mile in diameter.

Residents said they were warned just minutes before the tornado arrived, giving them precious little time to gather up valuables, pets and relatives.

On Monday, rescuers continued their search for victims as residents picked up the pieces.