Damage reported as apparent tornado touches down north of Nashville
An apparent tornado tore roofs off homes and knocked out power to thousands in Tennessee on Saturday as a line of severe storms raked the state.
Police and firefighters in Clarksville were responding to multiple reports of damage in the northern part of the city, which is north of Nashville near the Kentucky state line. Photos posted by the local fire department on social media showed damaged houses with debris strewn in the lawns, a tractor trailer flipped on its side on a highway and insulation ripped out of building walls.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that a tornado touched down around 2 p.m. The statement said that there were no confirmed injuries or missing people but that it was continuing to search the area.
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The Tennessean newspaper reported that the National Weather Service also received damage reports in Cumberland Furnace in Stewart County, Springfield in Robertson County, Madison in Davidson County, and Hendersonville and Gallatin in Sumner County.
In Clarksville, a shelter was set up at a local high school.
Residents were asked to stay at home while first responders evaluated the situation. In a briefing shared on social media, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said there was extensive damage.
“So please, if you need help, call 911 and help will be on the way immediately. But if you can, please stay home. Do not get out on the roads. Our first responders need time and space,” he said.
Clarksville city spokesman Jimmy Settle said in an email that he didn’t have any further information on the number of structures damaged or possible injuries.
The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings in Tennessee, and said it planned to survey an area where an apparent tornado hit in Kentucky.
About 85,000 electricity customers were without power in Tennessee on Saturday night, according to PowerOutage.us.