Last night around midnight tornadoes swept through four counties in the area of Nashville, Tennessee. This morning the death toll from the disaster has risen to 22 people but authorities are aware there are still an unknown number of missing people.
A powerful storm early Tuesday spawned tornadoes that ripped through Tennessee, killing at least 22 people and creating a trail of devastation that struck Nashville and stretched across several counties in the central part of the state…
Officials warned that the number of confirmed fatalities could rise, as officials were still working to get a handle on the reach of the devastation and emergency workers continued to search through the rubble of damaged buildings. Police officers were going house to house in some areas, and road crews were clearing streets and dangerous electrical debris.
“It’s not looking good right now. We still have several people missing, a lot of loved ones calling in wanting us to locate their family,” Sheriff Eddie Farris of Putnam County told a local news station, WKRN. “We certainly hope that number doesn’t go up, but it’s not looking real promising at this point.”
WKRN in Nashville reports on some of the victims:
Metro police reported two people died after they were hit by debris along McFerrin Avenue in East Nashville. Officers said one of the victims, an adult female, was pronounced dead at the scene, while an adult male later died at a local hospital.
Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton said 16 people were killed in Putnam County. Several of the victims were children, Shelton explained.
The Benton County Sheriff reported one person was killed and at least two others injured in the storm. The sheriff said a 67-year-old man was inside a mobile home, when it was picked up and thrown into a field.
In addition to the lives lost there was also a tremendous amount of property damage. A little after midnight the Nashville Fire Department said 40 structures had collapsed around the city:
Happening Now: we are responding to reports of approx. 40 structure collapses around Nashville. Please avoid downed powerline and storm debris.
— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) March 3, 2020
But, looking at photos, it appears there are hundreds more homes that were seriously damaged:
#BREAKING: @JohnCooper4Nash has signed an executive order declaring a STATE OF EMERGENCY in Nashville & Davidson County. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/rOpPTP71i5
— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowWKRN) March 3, 2020
DRONE 2: More aerial video from photojournalist @ArmondoWKRN. This is near Third Ave. and Jefferson Street. #NashvilleTornado https://t.co/n5uMrp8dYX pic.twitter.com/JJsYgpsXxJ
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) March 3, 2020
A massive warehouse, about half of which has collapsed:
DRONE 2: @ArmondoWKRN shot this drone video of damage at a warehouse on Eastgate Blvd in Wilson County. #nashvilletornado https://t.co/n5uMrp8dYX pic.twitter.com/FWCHAMsnEL
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) March 3, 2020
And this church which was nearly 200 years old:
Hopewell Baptist Church is one of several destroyer in North Nashville. It’s been here since 1823. Devastating. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/QXtFobSAYd
— Elizabeth Lane (@elizabethlanetv) March 3, 2020
One of the hardest hit spots was this Nashville airport. Four hangars were destroyed and airplanes were smashed together like toys:
Before the overnight tornado struck Germantown & East Nashville, it made a direct hit on John Tune Airport in West Nashville. pic.twitter.com/2ELPhsddUs
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 3, 2020
STORM DAMAGE: Cars piled up, hangars and airplanes destroyed at the John C. Tune airport. Officials estimate the damage to be in the millions. https://t.co/n5uMrp8dYX #NashvilleTornado pic.twitter.com/09DBLIESok
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) March 3, 2020
My friend found THIS airport terminal sign in her yard after the overnight storms. She lives in Mt. Juliet… more than *10* MILES from @Fly_Nashville !! @WKRN pic.twitter.com/hLUAvBi62a
— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowWKRN) March 3, 2020
The electrical infrastructure was seriously impacted. Nearly 50,000 people are still without power:
Currently, we have 31 high-voltage electrical transmission structures damaged and 17 lines down in the Middle Tennessee area. Additional crews and equipment are en route, and 3 helicopters are in the air assessing the damage. Check with your local power company for outage info. pic.twitter.com/lrfZMW49ET
— Tennessee Valley Authority (@TVAnews) March 3, 2020
Lots of power line damage at the street level too:
East Nashville pic.twitter.com/DU9iyJajae
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) March 3, 2020
The tornados that struck are said to be EF-3s.
Finding incredible images online this morning of last night’s tornado over #Nashville. Thanks to News4 viewer Jenny Pearcy for this amazing photo. pic.twitter.com/YfSOOMyk1b
— Melanie Layden (@MelanieLaydenTV) March 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/juskeyyy/status/1234768153529503745
I’ll update this post if the situation changes.
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