At least six people were killed Saturday night as a wave of tornadoes ripped across middle Tennessee.
The Tennessean reported that 160,000 people were without power.
Two adults and one child died in Clarksville, where about two dozen people were injured, according to according to WSMV-TV.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said that Joseph Dalton, Floridema Gabriel Perez, 31, and Anthony Elmer Mendez, 2, of Madison died when Dalton’s mobile home was blown over in the storm and landed on a home where Perez and Mendez were hiding. Two children were hospitalized in the incident.
Tennessee – Tornadoes have hit Tennessee. 6 confirmed dead so far🌪️ pic.twitter.com/IRrxcmjoij
— 🇬🇧RonEnglish🇬🇧🏴 (@RonEng1ish) December 10, 2023
“This is a sad day for our community,” Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said in the statement, according to NBC.
“We are praying for those who are injured, lost loved ones, and lost their homes. This community pulls together like no other and we will be here until the end,” he stated.
Rutherford resident Ethan Goad said his town’s fire station was destroyed and “everyone around me was freaking out.”
Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?
Tennessee tornadoes leave at least 6 dead, tens of thousands without power.#tornado #tnwx #hendersonville #NashvilleTornado2023 pic.twitter.com/LFjSdA0KJJ
— BladudX (@BladudX) December 10, 2023
Rex Stockton of Clarksville said the roof of his house was blown off during the 20- to 30-second period the tornado passed overhead, according to WSMV-TV.
After checking on one neighbor, he looked around his neighborhood and found “there were whole houses that are just cone.”
The Nashville Office of Emergency Management said a building collapse at a church injured 13 people, according to CBS.
State of Emergency has been declared in Clarksville, Tennessee after tornados touched down yesterday. pic.twitter.com/PMAVX0CIrW
— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰 (@Nerdy_Addict) December 10, 2023
Shanika Washington of Clarksville said that after hearing warning sirens, she took her children, aged 5 and 10, to the basement of her building, according to the Associated Press.
“The lights were flickering, so I knew it was somewhere close in the vicinity. I just kept praying to God as it was going on. It was very terrifying and scary,” she stated.
“The back door absolutely did fly open, and you just heard a bunch of wind.”
“The blinds and stuff were like shaking really bad. I could tell that we were dead smack in the middle of a storm.”
She said when she emerged, cars and homes were damaged; grills were thrown about and roofs were missing.
