NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Saturday, severe storms ripped through central Tennessee, claiming the lives of six people and sending about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses suffered damage across multiple cities.
Three individuals, including a child, lost their lives when a suspected tornado struck Montgomery County, just north of Nashville, near the Kentucky state line, according to county officials. In addition, the Nashville Emergency Operation Center reported three fatalities from severe storms in a neighborhood north of downtown. Moreover, 23 people were treated for injuries at hospitals in Montgomery County.
Images shared by the Clarksville fire department on social media displayed damaged homes with debris scattered in the yard, a tractor-trailer overturned on a highway, and insulation ripped from building walls.
Authorities identified the victims killed north of downtown as Joseph Dalton, 37; Floridema Gabriel Perez, 31, and her two-year-old son, Anthony Elmer Mendez. Meanwhile, two other children, one in each home, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a tornado touched down around 2 p.m., prompting the opening of a shelter at a local high school. Residents were urged to remain at home while first responders assessed the situation, with the city’s mayor emphasizing the extent of the damage.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed his prayers for those affected, while the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings and reported over 80,000 electricity customers without power in Tennessee. This devastating event occurred almost two years to the day after a series of tornadoes in the region claimed 81 lives in Kentucky alone.
As the affected communities begin the process of recovery and rebuilding, it is clear that the impact of these severe storms will be felt for a long time.