Nashville Tornado Death Toll Update: Calamity Has Claimed 25 Lives

A storm spawned a powerful tornado that ripped through parts of Nashville and central Tennessee early Tuesday leaving behind devastation in its wake. At least 25 people were killed while several others are injured.

The fatalities happened in four counties which include Putnam, Benton, Wilson and Davidson, where Nashville is located. Nineteen deaths were reported in Putnam County alone, ABC News reported.

“We have had loss of life all across this state,” Governor Bill Lee said. He also declared a state of emergency due to the tornado, which left thousands of households without power.

Besides those whose deaths were already confirmed, there are still people that remain unaccounted for. “There are folks missing,” Lee added.

Tennessee is prone to tornado formation. On March 3, 2019, exactly one year ago before the recent twister struck, a tornado also hit the area leaving 23 people dead.

With 25 people already confirmed dead, Tuesday’s tornado is the second deadliest to hit Tennessee. The deadliest event happened on March 22, 1952, when twisters killed a total of 38 people.

Two of the fatalities were killed when they were hit by flying debris on McFerrin Avenue. They were identified as Michael Dolfini and his girlfriend Albree Sexton who met their demise as they walked out of Attaboy Lounge where Dolfini worked.

More than 50,000 households were hit with power outages in the tornado’s aftermath. While Nashville Electric Service has been busy making repairs, 47,000 homes are still without power as of late Tuesday afternoon.

“In the worst of circumstances the best of people comes out, and that’s what we’re seeing here in Tennessee,” Lee noted. “It is as we would expect.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that he will visit Tennessee within the week. “I want to send my warm wishes to the great people of Tennessee in the wake of the horrible, very vicious tornado that killed at least 19 people and injured many more,” Trump said.

“We’re working with the leaders in Tennessee including their great Gov. Bill Lee to make sure that everything is done properly,” the President added. “FEMA is already on the ground and I’ll be going there on Friday.”