Deadly tornado tears path of destruction through Nashville, Tennessee

A confirmed tornado tore through downtown Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday night and caused widespread damage, several injuries and at least two fatalities.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning for Nashville and adjacent areas around 12:15 a.m. CDT Tuesday.

Despite the tornado tearing through the city at night, the lights from the city were able to light up the sky enough such that footage of the tornado was captured quite clearly. From footage that was gathered, the tornado appears to be quite large, although storm surveys will be conducted on Tuesday to determine the official intensity of the storm.

Multiple homes and buildings were destroyed, and police in Mount Juliet reported that multiple injuries were being blamed on the tornado, according to NBC News.

The Nashville Fire Department reported that they were responding to 40 structure collapses around the city and advised people to avoid debris.

Around 3:30 a.m. CDT, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) reported that the tornado claimed the lives of two individuals from East Nashville.

The MNPD also reported that several emergency shelters had been opened for victims of the storm and that Nashville's Emergency Operations Center had been opened.

Several locations reported having downed power lines and trees that were blocking the roadways. Nashville Electric confirmed that their crews were out early on Tuesday morning assessing damage. As of 4:30 a.m. CST, more than 44,000 people were reported without power.

According to a tweet from Nashville International Airport, several hangars were destroyed and significant damage had occurred at John C. Tune Airport. People are being advised to completely avoid the airport until further notice.

A gas leak in the Germantown community of Nashville forced an evacuation just after the tornado hit the area, according to Fox8 News.

Damage to polling stations will be evaluated on Tuesday morning, and any damage to these stations could impede or significantly alter voting in and around the city for the Democratic primary in Tennessee on Super Tuesday. In addition, showers and thunderstorms will continue to impact much of central and eastern Tennessee on Tuesday morning.

A second tornado that moved through Putnam County was responsible for an additional three fatalities, according to News Channel 5 in Nashville.

The full extent of the damage, as well as the number of potential injuries and fatalities, will likely not be recognized until after sunrise on Tuesday.

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