A Tornado In Downtown Nashville, Tennessee Has Resulted In Multiple Deaths

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Multiple deaths have been reported along with extensive property damage after a tornado hit Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency had confirmed the deaths of at least seven people due to the tornadoes producing storms in multiple parts of the state. One tornado that hit downtown Nashville stayed on the ground into Hermitage, approximately 10 miles east of the city. Germantown and Mt. Juliet are also said to have sustained “extensive damage.”

An estimated 44,000 people were affected by power outages as of Tuesday morning, according to Nashville Electric. Metro Nashville Public School will be closed on Tuesday as a result of the storms and schools in Wilson County will be closed for the remainder of the week. Around the city as a whole, the Nashville Fire Department has confirmed at least 40 collapsed structures.

On Tuesday morning, TEMA said that specific details on damages and injuries still remain unknown.

“Starting on Mar. 2, a line of severe storms passed through Tennessee and has caused major damage to buildings, roads, bridges, utilities, and businesses in several counties,” a rep for TEMA said in a news release. “Tornado damage has been reported throughout West and Middle Tennessee including downtown Nashville, TN. Multiple fatalities have been reported and the number of injuries is unknown. The total number of business and residents without power is unknown. The exact extent of damage is also unknown.”

Because of the severity and the amount of damage, TEMA has asked residents to refrain from using their phones or calling 911 unless they are doing so to report a life-threatening emergency. Residents have also been asked to avoid driving so that the roads can stay as clear as possible for emergency officials to start doing their job around the city.