At least 25 people were killed, several others injured and tens of thousands of households and businesses left without power when a tornado struck parts of Nashville and central Tennessee early Tuesday, officials said. The deaths occurred in at least four counties, including Davidson, where Nashville is, and Putnam, Benton and Wilson, according to officials. At least 18 of the deaths occurred in Putnam County, officials said Tuesday.
“We have had loss of life all across this state,” Gov. Bill Lee, who declared a state of emergency, said. Besides those confirmed dead, some people are unaccounted for, he said. “There are folks missing.” The tornado is the most deadly tornado event in the United States since 23 people were killed in Lee County, Alabama, exactly one year ago, on March 3, 2019. It is the second most deadly tornado event in Tennessee history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center.