Severe storms and tornadoes killed at least six people in Tennessee on Saturday and caused extensive damage with tens of thousands of residents without power.
Three people were killed in Montgomery County in Tennessee while another three deaths were confirmed near Nashville.
“At this time we can confirm that three people are deceased, two adults and one child as a result of the tornado that touched down this afternoon. Additionally, 23 people have been treated at the hospital,” the Montgomery County in Tennessee said on its Facebook page.
Three more deaths were reported in the suburbs of Nashville, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management said.
“This is a sad day for our community. We are praying for those who are injured, lost loved ones, and lost their homes,” Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said.
More than 80,000 people in the southern US state were left without power according to the tracking website poweroutage.us.
The Montgomery County sheriff's office said there was damage to several homes in the city of Clarksville.
Many trees, power lines and houses were also hit in the rural town of Dresden, emergency services said.
Montgomery County, where Clarksville is located, has a population of more than 220,000.
Officials also urged people to stay off the roads as emergency services were responding to the situation in different areas.
“We are still in the search and rescue phase of this disaster,” the Montgomery County said. A local school and church were set up to shelter those displaced or in need of assistance.
The National Weather Service had earlier issued a tornado emergency alert on Saturday afternoon for several Nashville suburbs.
“This is a day that nobody wanted or expected,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said. “We know there's extensive damage throughout the community.”
