Tennessee officials are assessing the damage after tornadoes and strong thunderstorms roared across the state Saturday, leaving at least six people dead, more than 50 injured, multiple buildings destroyed and power outages.
At least three people died, including a child, after a tornado struck the Clarksville area of Montgomery County in northern Tennessee, officials said Saturday night.
Another three people were confirmed dead in Madison, Tennessee, just north of Nashville, emergency management officials said Saturday night. Montgomery officials reported 62 patients were treated at medical facilities.
First responders responded to more than 400 calls overnight, Nashville Fire Chief William Swann said. There are currently 25 displaced people at shelters and the number is expected to increase, he added.
As of Sunday afternoon, there were more than 35,000 reports of power outages across the state, according to the monitoring website PowerOutage.us. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said in Sumner County, two water utilities were running on generator power.
Nashville Electric Service is working to restore power, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell told reporters Sunday. Responders said 22 structures collapsed as a result of the storms, along with countless others damaged, O’Connell said.
A spokesperson for Nashville Electric Service said crews have restored 18,000 customers, but substations in Hendersonville and North Nashville suffered significant damage and there is no estimated restoration time. Some of the worst hit areas could take days to get power back, they said.
O’Connell said the city has been in touch with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and will be coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
When questioned about tornado sirens not going off prior to the storm, Edwards said, “he couldn’t respond as to why the warning sirens didn’t go off until after the fact.”
Many homes throughout the Clarksville area are also without power, which could take weeks to fully restore, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts told reporters Sunday. He said officials toured neighborhoods Sunday to survey the damage.
“This is devastating news and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones,” Pitts said in a statement. “The City stands ready to help them in their time of grief.”
Clarksville Montgomery County Schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said Sunday. Teams are still conducting searches in the area, Clarksville officials said.
“The road to recovery is going to take time and we ask that citizens who are not directly involved in search, rescue, or recovery efforts to avoid the impacted areas,” the Clarksville Police Department said. “Emergency Crews are working as quickly as possible, and operations will continue until the scenes have been checked and cleared.”
Footage obtained by CNN shows a tornado churning across a Clarksville road, flinging debris in the air and sparking power lines as it ripped through the area.
In the storm’s aftermath, cars were left tossed on their roofs as downed trees and debris littered roads. Roofs and walls from multiple buildings were ripped off, photos show.
As Clarksville looked for survivors and possibly additional victims, the mayor declared a state of emergency Saturday and enacted a 9 p.m. curfew, which will be in force again Sunday night.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee thanked state and local responders in a statement on X shortly after the storms Saturday night.
“Maria & I are praying for all Tennesseans who have been impacted by the tornadoes that swept through the state this evening,” he wrote. “We mourn the lives lost & ask that everyone continue to follow guidance from local & state officials.”
He urged residents to stay out of the affected areas and call the Red Cross if they’ve been displaced. “There’s a long road of healing and recovery ahead for many of our neighbors,” O’Connell said.
“Significant damage” from a tornado was also reported in the Tennessee cities of Gallatin and Hendersonville, northeast of Nashville, according to a joint statement from the communities’ mayors.
“It is of paramount importance that citizens stay off of the roads and allow first responders and utility crews to respond,” the officials said.
Officials in Clarksville said nearly 300 structures suffered major damage after Saturday’s deadly tornado, and most of the damaged or destroyed structures were residences.
The City of Clarksville said on its Facebook page the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency reported 65 structures suffered minor damage and 339 others had moderate damage.
Officials said 271 structures are “uninhabitable” after suffering “major damage,” and the agency also found during its assessment 91 structures “are totally destroyed.” While Tennessee grapples with the aftermath, more storms are set to hit the Eastern US on Sunday.
A few thunderstorms may become severe on Sunday from the Florida Panhandle to Delaware, but the eastern Carolinas are most likely to endure a handful of damaging storms. Damaging wind gusts will be the main threat with these storms, but tornadoes are also possible.
Strong winds are also likely from the storm system fueling this weekend’s adverse weather. It will reach its maximum strength Sunday and generate wind gusts which could knock out power and disrupt travel.
Widespread gusts of 40 to 50 mph will slam portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast within about 150 miles of the coast. Inland areas across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will still get quite breezy on Sunday, but are less likely to receive damaging winds.
Gusts could strengthen and reach up to 60 mph at times Sunday night in New England and along the New York and New Jersey coasts.
