Severe weather has plagued Tennessee for multiple days, bringing tornadoes, 75 mile per hour winds and flooding to much of the state. The death toll from the storms has risen to 10, according to Tennessee’s Department of Health.
Five people have died in McNairy County, two in Fayette, and individuals in Carroll, Obion, and Tipton Counties. McNairy county saw an EF3 tornado, with 160 mile per hour winds that damaged more than 300 structures, according to the county’s emergency management agency. Nashville’s National Weather Service office has confirmed at least seven tornadoes through out the midstate.
The ground was already saturated with rain by Friday, so flooding was the biggest concern over the weekend. Multiple waterways reached moderate flood stage or higher. Port Royal in Clarksville is forecast to reach major flood stage, and parts of the Duck River are anticipated to crest Monday or Tuesday, according to the Weather Service.
Montgomery and Obion counties have issued voluntary evacuations in areas that are prone to flooding ahead of the severe weather impacts. And wastewater treatment plants are beginning to see impacts of the excessive rain, especially in counties to the west of Nashville. Flooding is anticipated to continue through the week.
Damaging winds have taken down power lines and trees in neighborhoods across the state. On Sunday, more than 19,000 people were without power in Tennessee, including 8,000 in Davidson county.
Tennessee is in a state of emergency. President Donald Trump granted the governor’s request for federal assistance, meaning FEMA can immediately begin coordinating disaster relief efforts in all 95 Tennessee counties.
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