Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding at least 40 buildings and killing at least 19 people. One of the twisters caused severe damage across downtown Nashville, destroying the stained glass in a historic church and leaving hundreds of people homeless.
Daybreak revealed a landscape littered with blown-down walls and roofs, snapped power lines and huge broken trees, leaving city streets in gridlock. Schools, courts, transit lines, an airport and the state Capitol were closed, and some damaged polling stations had to be moved only hours before Super Tuesday voting began.
The death toll jumped to 19 on Tuesday, Tennessee Emergency Management Spokeswoman Maggie Hannan said, after police and fire crews spent hours pulling survivors and bodies from wrecked buildings.
“Last night is a reminder of how fragile life is,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said at the press conference.
The devastation comes on the same day that Tennessee participates in the Super Tuesday presidential primary, when more than 30% of all delegates will be awarded. Officials said at a press conference Tuesday that the tornadoes damaged 15 out of 169 polling places.
The tornadoes destroyed at least 48 buildings, and have left about 50,000 customers without power, according to officials.
A video posted online from east Nashville showed what appeared to be a well-defined funnel moving quickly across the city. Lightning repeatedly flashed while much of the city was in the dark. The whir of the wind could be heard gusting after the tornado moved out of sight.
The city’s emergency operations center has been activated, and an emergency shelter is set up. Residents have been urged to avoid downed power lines, as some 74,000 homes and businesses were without electricity.
Schools have been closed for the day but a majority of the polling stations for the Super Tuesday primary are staying open.
The tornado that hit downtown Nashville reportedly stayed on the ground into Hermitage, a neighborhood about 10 miles east. The city’s historic Germantown neighborhood suffered significant damage.
WTVF called that damage in the Nashville area “stunning.” Nashville Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter that the “community has been devastated.”
“Nashville is hurting,” he wrote. “… My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. Be sure to lend a helping hand to a neighbor in need, and let’s come together as a community once more. Together, we will get through this and come out stronger.”
Parts of Tennessee State University’s campus were damaged by a tornado, but the school is on spring break.
A reported gas leak forced an evacuation of the IMT building in Germantown, according to WSMV-TV. Photos showed dozens of people in the street carrying their belongings not long after the tornado moved through the city.
Governor Lee said on Twitter that the state “has activated a strong coordinated response effort to last night’s devastating storms.”
“In the hours ahead, we will continue deploying search and rescue teams, opening shelters across the state, and sending emergency personnel to our communities hit hardest.”