Catastrophic tornado outbreak in Middle Tennessee
Six people died, including two children, and a State of Emergency is in effect for Montgomery, Davidson, and Sumner counties.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Multiple tornadoes touched down across Middle Tennessee, causing catastrophic structural damage and death across multiple areas.
Two adults and one child died in Clarksville as a result of a tornado, while two adults and one 2-year-old child were killed near Nashville in Davidson County. Dozens of injuries have been reported so far across Middle Tennessee.
Damage has been reported in Davidson, Montgomery, Robertson and Sumner Counties, with Davidson, Montgomery County and Sumner County officials declaring a State of Emergency. Clarksville, where nearly two dozen people were hurt during the storms, has established a curfew of 9 p.m. for both Saturday and Sunday.
Several state roads are still closed Sunday morning due to damage and cleanup crews, including Old Hickory Boulevard and Dickerson Pike in Davidson County, Fort Campbell Boulevard in Montgomery County, SR 11 in Robertson County and SR 6 and SR 258 in Sumner County, which is open with partial lane closures for utility crews. Preliminary reports indicate several tornadoes touched down in Tennessee on Saturday, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
Much of the terror of the deadly tornado outbreak was visible in the daylight hours. WSMV4 captured the tornado in Montgomery County during a live newscast before 2 p.m. Saturday.
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Later, a tornado ripped through the Madison area and continued to carve a destructive path through Hendersonville.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released the identities of the three people who died on Nesbitt Lane in Madison. They reported that 37-year-old Joseph Dalton, 31-year-old Floridema Gabriel Perez, and 2-year-old Anthony Elmer Mendez died when Dalton’s mobile home was rolled by the tornado and flipped on top of a residence where Perez and Mendez were hiding inside.
Dalton’s 10-year-old son and Perez’s 7-year-old son were also in their respective homes when the tornado hit and were transported to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital with injuries but are expected to recover.
The main areas of destruction occurred on Nesbitt Lane in the Madison area, where the three deaths were reported, and a church on Dickerson Pike where 13 survivors were transported to nearby hospitals. The patients are listed as stable and expected to recover.
Hendersonville and other parts of Sumner County also saw significant damage. Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary told WSMV4 on Sunday morning that about a dozen people were injured during the tornado, but most of the injuries were minor.
Big Play Entertainment Center in Hendersonville was hit directly by the tornado and had the whole backside reduced to rubble, along with big chunks of the roof. The entertainment venue was full of people at the time, although only a few minor injuries were reported there.
Ace Hardware in Hendersonville also reported their 20-foot enclosed delivery trailer was picked up and tossed into the Garden Center.
Springfield in Robertson County also was severely damaged by a tornado. Video submitted to WSMV4 shows a Valvoline store was damaged and trees leveled by strong winds.
As expected, the severe nature of the storm and resulting tornado on the ground wiped out electric systems across Middle Tennessee. The Nashville Electric Service (NES) reported as many as 60,000 reported power outages during the storm. Neighboring counties also reported tens of thousands of customers without electricity.
The greater Nashville area and most of Middle Tennessee were given the “All Clear” by the National Weather Service and WSMV 4 meteorologists by 10:40 p.m.
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