Six people killed in tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. Here's what we know

Six people are dead after tornadoes, thunderstorms and strong winds ripped through Clarksville, Madison and other parts of Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon and evening.

Dozens of other people were injured. Buildings across the region were destroyed and power lines downed. It was the first time in a decade that the National Weather Service’s Nashville office issued an alert called a “tornado emergency,” even more serious than a tornado warning.

Here’s what we know about the deadly storms that hit Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

Updates: The latest news from Saturday's tornadoes

Tornadoes hit three areas

While the storms have not yet been confirmed by an official survey, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service said Saturday night that a tornado hit Clarksville early Saturday afternoon; that the Hendersonville and Gallatin area was hit by a tornado; and that Springfield in Robertson County was hit by a tornado.

Six people, including one child, were killed

The Montgomery County government confirmed in a post on social media that three people, including one child, were killed in the storms that hit the area at about 1:35 p.m. The county said 23 others were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the storm.

The storms killed three other people in the Madison area of Nashville, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management confirmed.

Shelters are available in Clarksville

A shelter has been set up at Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road, in Clarksville, said Jimmy Settle, a spokesperson for Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts. Mosaic Church in Clarksville is also offering food and shelter.

Clarksville is under a curfew Saturday and Sunday night

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts announced Saturday night that he was placing the city under a state of emergency and instituted a 9 p.m. curfew for the city on both Saturday and Sunday nights.

The Nashville mayor declared a state of emergency

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell declared a state of emergency in Davidson County and contacted state and federal partners.

Nashville Fire Department personnel were searching damaged buildings for anyone who could be trapped inside. The Nashville Office of Emergency Management reported a building collapse at Community Church on Dickerson Pike. Thirteen people were transported to nearby hospitals and were last listed in stable condition.

More than 150,000 were without power Saturday night

Just before 9 p.m. more than 150,000 customers across Middle Tennessee were without power, down from around 160,000 earlier in the evening, according to outage maps from Middle Tennessee Electric, Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Dickson Electric and Nashville Electric Service.

There was extensive damage in several counties

The Sumner County Emergency Management Agency said in a Facebook post around 6:20 Saturday night that crews were inspecting downed power lines, gas leaks, structural collapses and vehicle crashes. The roof of the Big Play game center collapsed in Hendersonville.

Hendersonville police were handling calls from people trapped in structures on West Main Street. TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center was running on emergency power as storm victims arrived for treatment.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office confirmed damage to several houses in the area of the Hand Estates near Garrettsburg Road. One resident said the storm “sounded like a train going down some train tracks.”

Several homes on Nesbitt Lane in Madison in Davidson County were destroyed, with power lines down, leaving residents in the dark amid the rubble. The three deaths in Madison all came from this street, according to officials.

In Springfield, a Valvoline Instant Oil Change station on Memorial Boulevard and Blackpatch Road sustained heavy damage, in an area that was strewn with downed power lines. No fatalities in Robertson County have been confirmed, but there are reports of minor injuries in Springfield, according to city spokesperson Natasha Tice.

A ‘tornado emergency’ alert was issued for first time in more than decade

The National Weather Service’s Nashville office issued a "tornado emergency" alert for parts of Middle Tennessee for the first time in over a decade as the storms swept through, according to meteorologist Sam Shamburger.

NWS Nashville issued tornado warnings for multiple areas across Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon and evening, including Clarksville, parts of Nashville, Hendersonville and Gallatin.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Six people killed in tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. Here's what we know