Videos, photos show destruction after tornadoes, severe storms pummel Tennessee, Carolinas
At least three people were killed overnight as powerful storms ripped through the central and eastern United States, bringing torrential rain, hail and even tornadoes.
Parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas were all pummeled into Thursday morning as severe weather continues to cause widespread damage throughout a large swath of the United States amid a multi-state tornado outbreak that began May 6.
More than 22 million people in eight states had been under a tornado watch Wednesday evening in portions of eight states: Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The damage appeared to be the worst in Tennessee and North Carolina, where three people were killed.
A 22-year-old man died in Claiborne County, Tennessee, after a tree fell on his vehicle around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said. In Maury County, about 50 miles southeast of Nashville, another person was killed and four others were injured after a tornado ripped through the area.
In North Carolina, one person died in the storm Wednesday after a tree fell on a car, according to Gaston County officials. Another person was rescued and transported to the hospital.
Several supercell thunderstorms swept across south-central Kentucky as well into Wednesday evening, brining large hail, damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes, the weather service said at 7 p.m. Wednesday
Supercells are the least common type of thunderstorm and tend to produce hazardous weather.
Here's a look at some of the images and videos surfacing of the damage, the extent of which is still being assessed Thursday morning.
USA TODAY power outage tracker: Where in the U.S. are people without power?
Photos of severe weather destruction in Tennessee, North Carolina
Images, video of storms' aftermath appear on social media
Amid the widespread power outages, the Tennessee Valley Authority said in a post on social media site X that high-voltage transmission crews were working Thursday morning to assess and repair the damage in middle Tennessee and western Kentucky.
High-voltage transmission crews are assessing and repairing damaged transmission towers and lines after strong storms in middle Tennessee and western Kentucky. Storms continue to move across the region - monitor the @NWS and local media for info.#KYWX #TNWX pic.twitter.com/Cb3ZfLDAIx
— Tennessee Valley Authority (@TVAnews) May 9, 2024
@NC5 Spring Hill tornado, off 65 and and Bear Creek Pike. @RobbieAMurray credit pic.twitter.com/m5bk200HqW
— peter lockwood (@RokinBassPlaya) May 9, 2024
Powerful storms brought heavy rain, large hail and at least one tornado to Middle Tennessee. Follow along for updates in the aftermath: https://t.co/TbHoFedDyS pic.twitter.com/v5NoOTB6fC
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) May 9, 2024
Video shared on X by the Tennessean, a USA TODAY network publication, showed the flooding, hail and downed trees left in the wake of the storms.
⚠️🇺🇸Huge EF-3 Tornados videos from today’s monsters storms in Tennessee massive destruction throughout the state today👎 pic.twitter.com/xdGclo20cT
— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) May 9, 2024
This is one of those damaging storms moving through central #Tennessee right now. A #TornadoWarning is underway here near #Murfreesboro. This I-24 about 30 miles south of #Nashville. @knxnews @myTDOT pic.twitter.com/rMIpKklbI0
— Brian Douglas (@BrianDouglasKNX) May 9, 2024
Strong storms brought damaging wind, rain and hail across much of Western North Carolina overnight Wednesday, knocking power to thousands. https://t.co/iLsPsSKL3x
— WLOS (@WLOS_13) May 9, 2024
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe weather, tornadoes hit Tennessee, Carolinas: See photos, video