NASHVILLE – Tornadoes killed at least 19 people in Tennessee as severe storms erupted in the state Monday evening and early Tuesday morning, part of a sprawling system that threatened more severe weather Tuesday from Texas to the North Carolina.
Earlier, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said nine people died in the storms, “a number of people” are missing and many are injured at a press conference Tuesday morning.
The governor, who declared a state of emergency for Tennessee, did not provide precise figures on the injured or missing, but noted that 30 rescuers had been injured.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Lee. “We have lost lives across the state. This morning, four different counties had confirmed deaths. “
Lee said he was in touch with the White House this morning “to ask for help”.
President Donald Trump tweeted his support on Tuesday morning: “Pray for all those affected by the devastating Tennessee tornadoes. We will continue to monitor developments. The federal government is with you throughout this difficult time . “
The disaster had an impact on voting in Tennessee, one of 14 states on Super Tuesday. Some polling stations in Nashville have been relocated, and sites in Davidson, County and Wilson counties opened an hour late but are still closing at the same time, Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced.
The Nashville tornado “appeared to be quite large, although storm readings were taken Tuesday to determine the official intensity of the storm,” said AccuWeather.
The tornado was the third to cross downtown Nashville. Previous tornadoes tore the city apart in 1933 and 1998, the National Weather Service said.
In Putnam County, the number of deaths increased to 14, while two deaths were confirmed in Wilson County, two in Davidson County and one in Benton County.
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The extent of the storm’s physical damage was discordant – even before sunrise Tuesday morning – and forecasters said more storms could occur.
At least 48 structures have collapsed around Nashville, according to the Nashville Fire Department. In addition, windows were blown and power lines were torn down in an area that stretched from the Germantown neighborhood, north of downtown, in the Five Points area of East Nashville and more than 30 kilometers is at Mount Juliet.
Officials rushed to open emergency shelters around the metropolitan area as emergency sirens continued to moan and the smell of natural gas persisted in the air.
Nashville Electric tweeted that four of its substations were damaged by the tornado. The power outages affected more than 44,000 customers on Tuesday morning, the utility said.
In East Nashville, Main Street was closed after the storm and covered with half-fallen trees and other debris.
Part of a building had collapsed on Fifth Street and Main Street.
Residents of Stacks On Main on Main Street near the Nissan stadium reported that their windows were shattered during high winds, sending shards of glass throughout their apartment, as well as minor flooding.
Buildings in the area have experienced power outages. The apartment complexes off Main Street had siding, concrete slabs and other building materials torn from the structures.
Damaged homes have been reported in East Nashville and Donelson.
The storm also caused damage in Wilson County.
Emergency personnel at Mount Juliet continue to assess the damage, said Tyler Chandler, spokesperson for the Mount Juliet Police Department.
Gas lines are leaking and power lines are down, Chandler said.
“We have missing people, several houses have been razed to the ground, so at the moment we are trying to create a command post,” said Count of Putnam sheriff Eddie Farris.
The sheriff said all of his assistants were working, going from house to house to check on residents while county and state teams were working to clean up roads of debris and fallen power lines.
Tuesday was the U.S. deadliest day for tornadoes since 23 people died in Alabama exactly a year ago, March 3, 2019, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Contribution: Nashville Tennessean and Associated Press staff. Rice reported from McLean, Virginia