Tornadoes and severe storms hit Middle Tennessee
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Map showing the severe thunderstorm risk levels yesterday. Image: Pivotal Weather
Tornadoes and severe storms walloped Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, killing at least one person in Maury County, injuring several others and leaving thousands without power.
Danger stretched on for hours, with another wave of storms expected into Thursday morning. Officials are warning drivers that flooding remains an ongoing threat in parts of the region.
- Downed trees and power lines could also be blocking roads during the morning commute.
State of play: Residents shared pictures of multiple tornadoes in different areas last night. Davidson County escaped the worst of the storm but the damage in some surrounding counties was significant, with TV news showing images of mangled homes and squashed cars.
- Officials urged drivers to stay off the roads Wednesday night as crews fanned out to clear trees and debris from interstates and main routes.
- WSMV reported that about 10,000 homes in Middle Tennessee didn't have power Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service confirmed a "large, violent tornado" south of Nashville that carved a path of destruction through Maury County.
- A spokesperson for Maury Regional Medical Center confirmed that five patients had come to the hospital with storm-related injuries after the tornado. One patient died, another had serious injuries and three others had injuries that were not life-threatening.
- Maury County emergency responders said they were going door-to-door to check on residents. They reported significant damage.
Emergency crews reported flooding and multiple water rescues in Sumner and Robertson counties. Northern Davidson County also faced the risk of flash flooding as multiple storm systems cycled through the area.
- Rutherford, Sumner and Robertson county schools are among multiple districts that closed Thursday due to flooding, downed trees and other storm damage.
The big picture: The deadly storms erupted from the same storm system that plagued the Central Plains on Monday. The threat stretched well beyond Nashville and put tens of millions of people on edge, from Dallas to Paducah.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more details.