Tornadoes unleash deadly terror in Tennessee with children among those killed in severe storms

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Watch: Tornado triggers explosion north of Nashville

A storm north of Nashville produced a tornado that traveled through an industrial area on Saturday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two children are among the six people who were killed when a series of tornadoes ravaged parts of Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday, destroying dozens of homes and businesses, snapping utility poles and trees like matchsticks and leaving tens of thousands of people without power as temperatures plunged into the 40s.

The deadly severe weather was part of the same system that pushed through the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, bringing with it snow, wind and heavy rain.

There were at least 22 reports of tornadoes on Saturday, which triggered the FOX Forecast Center to declare the deadly event a tornado outbreak.

And as the sun rose on Sunday, the true scope of devastation and heartache was made clear as emergency crews continued to sift through the debris left behind to locate anyone who may remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed structures.

Deadly tornadoes unleash terror across Middle Tennessee

PHOTOS SHOW SCOPE OF DESTRUCTION AFTER DEADLY TORNADOES SWEEP ACROSS PARTS OF TENNESSEE

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Tornado survivor saves family from tornado with only 30 seconds warning

Resident Adam Gleixner describes losing his home to a tornado in Clarksville, Tennessee. He ushered his family to safety in the 30 seconds from his cell warning to the tornado hitting.

The terror unleashed across Middle Tennessee began around 12:30 p.m. local time on Saturday when the region’s first Tornado Warning was issued for communities such as Rutherford, Dresdon and Gleason in the northwestern part of the Volunteer State.

That warning was then upgraded to a Particularly Dangerous Situation due to radar and ground observation reports that had been received.

The area sits about a two-hour drive from the Nashville area, and the supercell thunderstorm stayed together long enough that warnings were issued in southern Kentucky.

VIDEOS SHOW EF-3 TORNADO THAT BARRELED THROUGH CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE

A young person sits on the collapsed wall of Sabbath Day Church of God in Christ in the aftermath of a tornado on December 10, 2023 in Madison, Tennessee. Multiple long-track tornadoes were reported in northwest Tennessee on December 9t causing multiple deaths and injuries and widespread damage. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

In fact, the FOX Forecast Center said at least 47 Tornado Warnings and 161 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued across the region during the tornado outbreak on Saturday.

Emergency officials in Gibson County were among the first to report damage from a tornado and described the damage as "significant."

Photos and videos from the region after the storms tore through showed vehicles that had been flipped, and extensive damage to buildings, including a fire station with its roof torn off.

Catastrophe in Clarksville, Tennessee

LIFECYCLE OF A TORNADO

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NWS: Storm damage in Clarksville, Tennessee caused by a powerful EF-3 rated tornado

Initial surveys by the National Weather Service found damage in Clarksville, Tennessee consistent with an EF-3 rated tornado and 150 mph winds. Storm surveys are underway in Kentucky and Tennessee after a deadly tornado outbreak. 

The same supercell thunderstorm also produced a tornado in the Clarksville, Tennessee, area, which meteorologists say then tracked into Kentucky.

The National Weather Service rated the tornado an EF-3, saying it had maximum winds of 150 mph.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

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Tornado twists through Clarksville, Tennessee

No audio. Video shows a tornado as it tore through Clarksville, Tenneessee, on Saturday.

Montgomery County officials said at least three people, two adults and a child, were killed in the storm. At a news conference on Sunday morning, they said at least 62 people were sent to various hospitals in the region to be treated for injuries.

"We’re devastated by the catastrophic event that occurred yesterday afternoon," Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said on Sunday. "Our hearts go out to all the families who are suffering from the enormous impact left in the wake of this tornado. It’s going to take a lot of time, a lot of resources and us coming together to get through this difficult time."

Golden went on to say that the county government is standing behind the ravaged community and will deploy whatever resources they can to help with recovery operations.

He said schools will be closed in the region, and a shelter has been opened at a local high school for displaced residents.

TORNADOES HIT LARGE CITIES: THIS IS WHY

The long-track tornado that devastated Clarksville, Tennessee, received an EF-3 rating and was on the ground for 42.91 miles between its starting point in northern Tennessee and ending point in southern Kentucky.

(FOX Weather)

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said widespread power outages remain across the region.

"This is a multiple-day event," he warned. "It could be a couple of weeks before we get power restored. This distribution system of our power system is our first priority."

 Jimmy Edwards, the Chief of Montgomery County Emergency Services, said hearts are heavy in the aftermath of the deadly storms.

"This morning, we have a lot of families who are suffering," he said. "And our hearts are especially heavy with those who have lost some, and certainly for those who have lost all."

Clarksville Police Chief David Crocker urged residents to stay off the roads, especially when the sun goes down, as debris still blocks several roads.

"Please stay out of the way when the sun goes down across the whole city," he said. "If you could settle in and get to where you need to be for the evening, the less calls for service we have across the city, the more we can focus on the area where these perimeters are established."

A curfew will be in effect for the city of Clarksville starting at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Tornado sirens wail in Nashville

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TORNADO ALLEY

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Nashville-area homes torn apart as deadly tornado sweeps across the region

FOX Weather Correspondent Nicole Valdes was on the ground in the Nashville community of Madison where at least three people were killed when a tornado ripped through the area on Saturday afternoon.

The destructive storms were close enough to downtown Nashville that tornado sirens wailed, and Tornado Warnings were issued around the area.

The Nashville Office of Emergency Management said three people, including one child, were killed in the Nesbitt Lane area of the Nashville community of Madison, and emergency crews responded to reports of a building collapse on Dickerson Pike that left at least 13 people trapped.

They were all rescued and taken to a hospital, where victims were listed in stable condition.

In total, Nashville officials said on Sunday that 22 structures had been destroyed, and countless others received significant damage.

TORNADO SAFETY: HOW TO IDENTIFY THE SAFEST PLACES INSIDE YOUR HOME

Scenes from Clarksville, Tennessee on Sunday, December 10, 2023 the day after a deadly tornado ripped through the community. (Image: Nicole Valdes/FOX Weather)

(FOX Weather)

In addition, first responders said they received more than 400 calls for help when the storm tore through the area.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell declared a State of Emergency after the disaster, and he said he expects the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to approve an Emergency Declaration at some point in the near future.

At a news conference, O’Connell advised residents without power to call the American Red Cross due to cold temperatures expected overnight into Monday.

FALL IS THE SECOND SEVERE WEATHER SEASON

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee took to social media on Saturday night to praise the hard work of first responders who rushed to the scene to help.

"Maria and I are praying for all Tennesseans who have been impacted by the tornadoes that swept through the state this evening," he said on X, formerly Twitter. "We mourn the lives lost and ask that everyone continue to follow guidance from local and state officials."

HOW DO TORNADOES FORM AND HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?

One of the hardest-hit communities appeared to be Hendersonville, which was placed under a rare Tornado Emergency on Saturday evening.

And dramatic video recorded in Madison showed what appeared to be an explosion from an industrial area as the storm ripped through the area.

Storms track east Sunday

WHERE ARE TORNADOES MOST COMMON?

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A staunch cold front allowed for storms to through Sunday. The NWS allowed remaining Tornado Watches to expire at midnight.

Areas in far northeastern Georgia, along with parts of North Carolina and Virginia, could see several inches of rainfall by Monday.

HOW TALL IS A TORNADO

The precipitation forecast for the eastern U.S.
(FOX Weather)

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WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MOST TORNADOES?

The Storm Prediction Center has no forecast for widespread severe weather on Monday.

Sunday thunderstorm threat.
(FOX Weather)

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