Videos Show Tornadoes Rip Through Tennessee as Severe Storms Hit South

Videos shared on social media show massive tornadoes ripping through parts of Tennessee, leaving several people dead, as severe weather erupted on Saturday across the South.

Tornadoes were confirmed by local authorities to have touched down in Tennessee, including one that left at least three people dead in the Nashville area and another that caused "extensive damage" north of Clarksville in Montgomery County, the Clarksville Police Department (CPD) said in a statement on Saturday.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed on social media shortly before 9 p.m. that in addition to three reported fatalities so far, multiple people were transported to area hospitals with injuries.

Montgomery County officials said two adults and one child died after the tornado touched down. Dozens more in Montgomery County were treated at a nearby hospital.

"BREAKING: Multiple power lines/poles down down along Gallatin N/OHB area. Severe damage along Nesbitt Ln where there are at least 3 fatalities. Others transported with injuries. Urban Search & Rescue is currently assisting @NashvilleFD."

The Nashville office of the National Weather Service (NWS) around 4:45 p.m. warned of a "life-threatening situation," saying that a damaging tornado had been confirmed for areas near Nashville.

"This is a CONFIRMED tornado with a history of producing damage," the NWS posted on Facebook Saturday. "SEEK SHELTER NOW!! THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM!!"

Another tornado touched down in Clarksville, a city roughly an hour from Nashville, around 1:35 p.m., according to the CPD, which said that police, fire and EMS were "responding to numerous locations" in the area over reports of "extensive damage" from the storm.

Clarksville officials urged residents to stay home and off the roadways to allow emergency crews to work and assess the damage.

The CPD said there is an emergency shelter open at Northeast High School.

Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Saturday to the CPD and NWS for comment and update.

The extent of the damage from the Saturday storms was unclear at the time of publication. It was also unknown as of 6:30 p.m. EST whether anyone was injured or killed.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said "several homes" in Clarksville's Hand Estates neighborhood were damaged.

"A preliminary search was conducted to locate residents and ensure safety," the sheriff's office said in a statement around 5:30 p.m. EST. "At this time we do not have any confirmed casualties or missing persons but are continuing to assess the area. Emergency personnel are following up with another, more thorough search."

Videos shared on X, formerly Twitter, show tornadoes roaring through parts of Tennessee.

A jaw-dropping clip shared by extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer shows a violent tornado near Nashville.

"Destructive #tornado near I65 earlier near Nashville," Timmer said. "You can see smoke from an explosion in the vertical winds. Terrible scenes of damage emerging."

In another post shared by Timmer, a massive funnel cloud can be seen east of Nashville.

"BIG problems east Nashville especially Hendersonville major damage," Timmer said in the post on X.

Another video shared on X by TeamBoltWX shows the Nashville-area tornado rotating, illuminated by flashes of lightning.

In one clip shared by X user BrittneyBalla17, a separate tornado in Clarksville can be seen barreling past houses.

"This was wild #ClarksvilleTN #Tornado" BrittneyBalla17 posted.

Norman_Wx shared a clip of the Clarksville tornado, describing it as having a "loud roar" in a post on X.

"Intense tornado intercept earlier from outskirts of Clarksville, TN. Loud roar with debris in air...praying everyone's okay," Norman_Wx said in the post.

WeatherTrackUS shared photos of the tornado damage in Clarksville on X, which show rubble and several structures destroyed.

"Photo of the tornado & damage near Clarksville, TN earlier," WeatherTrackUS posted.

Nashville news station WTVF shared a video of the Clarksville tornado's aftermath, saying a local church was "destroyed."

"Walnut Grove Church is destroyed in Clarksville after this afternoon's storm," WTVF posted.

Severe weather was reported across the South on Saturday, including baseball-sized hail in Mississippi and a tornado in Kentucky.

Daniel Smith, with Todd County Emergency Management in Kentucky, told Newsweek in an email interview on Saturday that a storm cell moved into Todd County from the southwest, traveling between the cities of Trenton and Guthrie and moving "across the width of the county" before crossing into Logan County.

Smith said county officials will begin to assess the damage on Sunday and start the cleanup process.

"The are two areas of extensive damage one near East Lester Chapel Road, south of Trenton where an Amish community had several homes and barns destroyed," Smith said. "The second was just south of Allensville along State Line Road where several homes were damaged and there was extensive damage to power lines and power poles along Highway 79."

He said as of Saturday night Todd County officials have no reports of any injuries.

A post on X shows a dark funnel cloud near Bowling Green, Kentucky.

"Wall cloud and funnel on the south side of Bowling Green," the NWS Louisville office posted.

Timmer shared a clip on X showing massive hail pummeling parts of Mississippi.

Update 12/10/2023, 9:10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information on the number of fatalities from the storm.

Update 12/9/2023, 11:07 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comment from Smith.