Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson’s home was one of many damaged as a tornado roared through Selma midday Thursday.

Jackson said he was in court when, just before 11:30 a.m., the courthouse was shut down and he headed to his house in the city’s Historic District.

Once at the house, Jackson hunkered down in the basement as the storm passed over.

“I could feel the pressure in my ears,’’ Jackson said. “You could hear the wind hitting the house.”

When it was over, part of Jackson’s roof was in a neighbor’s yard. “My roof is gone,’’ he said. “You can look up and see the sky.”

The tornado uprooted a massive tree in his yard. “It looks like a cave down in there,’’ he said. “You could down there and stay.”

“It looks like a bomb went off,’’ he said. “It did a lot of damage.”

Officials with the NWS office in Birmingham said it has received “devastating reports of damage,” from Dallas County.

“Please avoid the areas that experienced a tornado so emergency personnel can respond. Please be patient with local officials and first responders. Please be respectful of those areas that were hit hard by tornadoes. And please be patient with us as we survey the damage and try to categorize something that may be difficult to describe. There will be many long days ahead for everyone responding to the areas that experienced these storms, and even longer days for those directly impacted,” NWS said.

“Selma has received significant damage from the tornado. Citizens, please refrain from traveling the roadways and stay away from down power lines. City crews will be out as soon as practical to clean up. In the meantime, stay safe and continue to report your damages through 911. #wearetogether,” Selma Mayor James Perkins said.

Authorities said there are reports of injuries but no fatalities.