Thousands are without power after a tornado touched down north of Clarksville near the Kentucky-Tennessee border around 1:35 p.m. Saturday, the Clarksville Police Department said.
According to Montgomery County government spokeswoman Michelle Newell, several people were injured and several structures were destroyed. Officials are actively searching for people trapped or injured in their homes.
Clarksville Police, Clarksville Fire Rescue and Montgomery County EMS are responding to extensive damage to multiple locations in north Clarksville.
“I’m not home with my family,” state Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, shared in a social media post. “Please pray for Clarksville. Lots of destruction.”
CDE Lightband, Clarksville’s electric utility, reported 18,675 customers without power in the Clarksville area, according to the company’s outage map. That is 23% of customers without electricity.
Cumberland Electric Membership Corp., another power company serving more rural areas in the affected counties, said 1,565 members were without power..
Tornado damage was concentrated on the north side of the city, Jimmy Settle, a spokesman for Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts, told The Tennessean. Emergency responders are still assessing the damage.
“We know there’s damage in the north side of town right now, but it’s early in the game to confirm anything,” Settle said.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed damage to several homes in the Hand Estates area near Garrettsburg Road. First responders and emergency services have been deployed to the area and are continuing to assess the damage.
A shelter has been set up at Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road in Clarksville, Settle said.
As of 4:05 p.m., Ft. Campbell Blvd. 101st Airway Division Parkway is closed at the intersection and traffic is being diverted onto 101st.
Officials are advising the public to stay in place and stay off roadways to avoid hazards from downed power lines and debris.
Much of West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee remained under a Tornado Watch Saturday afternoon as strong storms rolled in from the west. Several Tennessee cities were placed under a tornado warning by the NWS throughout Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service says strong to severe thunderstorms are expected across central Tennessee until 11 p.m., bringing strong damaging winds and large hail. According to the NWS, the storms have the potential to become “progressive damaging wind producers,” causing tree damage and power outages. . Large hail can cause minor roof damage and car damage.
This is a growing story.
