“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Dallas County Emergency Management Agency director Rhonda Abbott said around 9:30 p.m. Thursday night. “So far, we’ve dodged the worst ones. But, we’re not done yet.”

As a severe thunderstorm rumbled its way through Selma around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a day that saw more than 50 Alabamians killed in tornadoes from Tuscaloosa to Cullman appeared to have come to an end with only minimal damage in Dallas County and no loss of life.

The county did have a number of weather warnings late in the evening, including a tornado warning that expired at 9:30 p.m. That warning was for a storm that did have a tornado embedded but moved just north of Dallas County, churning its way into Chilton and Autauga counties. That proved to be the closest a tornado came to the county during the tragic day.

Public and private school officials — with the exception of Selma City Schools — decided to dismiss their students early Wednesday, working to ensure students were able to get home and bus drivers were able to finish their routes before severe weather crossed into the area.

Abbott said only a few reports of downed trees were given in the county.

“Nothing severe. Only a few downed trees and some reported down power poles,” Abbott said.

Because the county was placed under a tornado watch early in the day, the county did open its three storm shelters (Tipton, Orrville and Burnsville) for any residents who did not feel safe in their homes.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley did declare a state of emergency for the entire state after an early morning string of storms caused damage in portions of Alabama north of Birmingham.

Word came out late Wednesday that President Barack Obama has authorized federal assistance for damaged areas in the state.