A massive tornado swept through Nashville early this morning leaving two people dead, multiple injured and thousands without power as high winds wreaked a trail of destruction.
At least two tornadoes struck central Tennessee as heavy ‘supercells’ caused damage near downtown Nashville, knocking out power and tearing through buildings.
Thousands were left without power as nearly 16,000 Nashville Electric Service customers suffered outages.
Terrifying footage showed lightening flashing across the sky and debris strewn across roads as the storm struck.
A reported gas leak forced an evacuation of the IMT building in the Germantown community, according to WSMV-TV.
Police said the emergency services have launched searches for people still trapped in the wreckage.
The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado touched down in the early hours of this morning and warned residents to ‘take cover’.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down near downtown Nashville on Tuesday. Pictured is lightening flashing across the sky in the early hours of this morning
An apartment building in the Germantown area of Nashville, Tennessee, after a tornado struck. Residents had to be evacuated from the building
Debris scattered across an intersection in downtown Nashville this morning
Emergency crews working near a damaged business at Jefferson Street and Seventh Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee, today
Cars stopped at service lines downed by a tornado this morning in Nashville, Tennessee. The tornado passed through Nashville just after midnight
A police car in front of a wrecked building in Nashville, Tennessee, in the early hours of this morning
Residents watching on as emergency crews attend to a tornado damaged apartment building on Jefferson Street in Nashville
The service tweeted: ‘Tornado still confirmed on the ground near Hermitage. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO! TAKE COVER NOW IN WILSON COUNTY!!!’
Videos emerged on social media showing lightening flashing across the sky and an apartment building gutted by high winds.
An apartment complex in Nashville was left heavily damaged after being hit by one tornado.
The residents in the Germantown area of the city were evacuated from their building after the twister struck.
One video posted online from east Nashville showed what appeared to be a well-defined tornado moving quickly across the city.
The whirl of the wind could be heard gusting after the tornado moved out of sight in the clip.
Photos showed dozens of people in the street carrying their belongings outside the IMT building not long after the tornado moved through the city.
Music City Cleaners dry cleaning service was left heavily damaged from the 45mph winds that struck Nashville today
Downed power lines could be seen on Ninth Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee, today
Lightening flashed across the sky above Nashville as the storm touched down in Tennessee
Downed power lines left thousands without electricity across Nashville today
The National Weather Service warned residents to ‘take cover’ and meteorologist Joe Fitzwater from 13 News said the tornado was ‘extremely dangerous’
Mt. Juliet Police Department said many homes had been damaged and multiple people had been injured and trapped in buildings by the storm.
Captain Chandler said in a Facebook video: ‘Our community has been greatly impacted by a tornado.
‘There are multiple homes damaged and multiple people injured. Our officers are in the early stages of this response and we continue to assess what is happening.
‘There are multiple homes damaged, multiple people injured, multiple people still trapped. We need your help.’
Chandler went on to say first responders were doing their best to help those in need.
He added: ‘There are gas lines that are leaking, power lines that are on the ground, and multiple emergency responders are responding to those who are injured and trying to get them the help that they need.
‘We appreciate your concern, your prayers. Continue to pray for our first responders and those that are injured and we will continue to keep you updated.’
Residents watching on as emergency crews attend to a tornado damaged apartment building on Jefferson Street in Nashville
A damaged service lines on Ninth Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee, after a tornado struck the city
The damage caused to an apartment building in Germantown was visible in a video posted on social media showing the floor covered debris
Nearly 16,000 Nashville Electric Service customers suffered power outages after a tornado knocked out service lines
Vehicles passing by damaged buildings on Jefferson Street after a tornado passed through the area in Nashville, Tennessee
The tornado reportedly stayed on the ground into Hermitage, about 10 miles east of the city in Tennessee.
The storm was forecast to bring an isolated tornado, damaging winds and large hail, news outlets reported.
Serious damage was caused in many parts of town including Germantown, where some of the worst damage to homes and businesses were seen.
Meteorologist Joe Fitzwater from 13 News warned the tornado was ‘extremely dangerous’.
He tweeted: ‘EXTREMELY dangerous supercell with a likely #tornado just passed through Nashville and continues east toward Mount Juliet. New tornado #warning issues for towns east. Debris ball STILL showing up on level 2 radar #tnwx.’
Two tornado warnings in Putnam County, east of Nashville, were reported a short time later. The National Weather Service said the tornadoes were confirmed on radar.
Heavy rain was expected to impact Gulf Coast states over the next several days, according to WTVF-TV.
Jeff Roberts of the Elections Commission said in a statement earlier today that information about damage to polling stations is being collected as polls open for Super Tuesday.
Any voter in Davidson County whose assigned precinct has been impacted may vote at the Election Commission Offices, the statement said. Polls open at various times, starting at 7am (CST), depending on the county.