In Middle Tennessee, no tornadoes had been recorded in a decade. The line of storms continued into Alabama, where it caused less damage.
Severe storms and tornadoes in the US state of Tennessee killed at least six people on Saturday.“At this time, we can confirm that three people have died, two adults and one child, as a result of the tornado that touched down this afternoon. Additionally, 23 people were treated in hospital”, Montgomery County said via Facebook. Three more deaths were reported in suburban Nashville, the country music capital’s office of emergency management said.
The National Weather Service had issued an emergency tornado warning Saturday afternoon, just hours before they struck. The severe weather severely damaged structures and homes, felled trees and snapped power lines in its wake.
Before 9 p.m., more than 150,000 homes were without power in Middle Tennessee, a part of the state that had not been swept by tornadoes in ten years. According to Power Outage, this Sunday at noon PST, 48,800 homes are without power, including 21,400 in Sumner County and 13,600 in Montgomery County.
“Maria and I are praying for all Tennesseans who have been affected by the tornadoes that swept through the state this evening”Governor Bill Lee said in a social media post Saturday evening. “We mourn the lives lost and ask that everyone continues to follow the advice of local and state authorities”.
“This is a sad day for our community. We pray for those who are injured, who have lost loved ones and who have lost their homes”, said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden. Montgomery County, where Clarksville is located, has a population of more than 220,000. A school and a church were opened by the Red Cross to shelter people who needed help or could not return home.
Local authorities have urged people to stay off the roads while emergency services are still at work. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew Saturday evening, which will continue this Sunday evening, starting at 9 p.m. “It is necessary for the health, safety and well-being of the community”he justified in a press release.
The line of storms moved overnight toward Alabama, with wind gusts reaching 95 mph where they damaged roofs, uprooted trees and knocked out power. This Sunday at noon, 25,000 homes are already without electricity.