Tennessee is in a state of emergency after intense and deadly overnight storms. State officials say at least five Tennesseans have died in McNairy, Obion and Fayette counties in West Tennessee.
Storm threats continued Thursday morning with intermittent flash flood warnings across swaths of the state. The National Weather Service also forecasted severe thunderstorms for Thursday afternoon, with the potential for winds up to 70 miles per hour, tornadoes and large hail. A flood watch has been issued through Sunday.
Many counties across Middle Tennessee received 2-4 inches of rain by early Thursday morning. Some areas may receive an additional 2-8 inches of rain by Sunday, increasing the risks for dangerous flooding. In West Tennessee, forecasters are warning of “catastrophic flooding” risks — with potential accumulations of 15 inches of rainfall by the end of the week.
“Saturday is the day that concerns me the most,” Ryan Husted, a meteorologist with the weather service, said during a press conference Thursday night. “Our ground is saturated. Any rain that falls is going to run off and it’s going to cause flooding.”
Several school districts closed on Thursday, including Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties. Others are on delayed starts.
The extensive line of storms that struck Wednesday night brought heavy rainfall, large hail and winds strong enough to topple trees. Preliminary reports from the weather service include:
- wind damage from possible tornadoes in the communities of Selmer, Linden and Centerville
- buildings and barns destroyed in West Tennessee
- multiple injuries in Kentucky, where there were possible tornadoes near Paducah, Murray and Madisonville
- road closures due to flooding
- emergency responders conducted a water rescue on Murfreesboro Pike and Lester Ave in Nashville
“Overturned cars, people’s belongings scattered throughout the fields, roofs off of the buildings…the devastation is enormous,” Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday afternoon after visiting a site in McNairy County with tornado damage.
The Trump administration approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee on Thursday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide disaster assistance. FEMA can now help coordinate relief efforts in any Tennessee county.
Across Tennessee, there were about 10,000 power outages as of 11:30 a.m., mostly west of Nashville.
Reported earlier
Rainfall through Sunday could accumulate to 10 or more inches in some areas of Middle Tennessee.
Gov. Bill Lee issued a state of emergency on Wednesday night as the life-threatening storms began to rumble across parts of the state.
Lightning strikes as storms move through the area Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Ashland City, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Parts of West Tennessee and western Kentucky are forecasted to receive as much as 15 inches of rain this week. If northwest Tennessee areas get at least 10 or 12 inches over a 4-day period, that would constitute 100-year and 500-year events, respectively, according to state climatologist Andrew Joyner.
The flood risks are the result of an atmospheric river — basically a river in the sky that carries moisture from the ocean to coasts or sometimes further inland, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Nashville is currently forecasted to get up to 6 inches of rain this week, but “it would not be shocking to see 7 or 8 inches over the next few days,” said Sam Herron, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
Courtesy Climate Central Costly weather disasters are happening more frequently as the climate warms in the U.S.
Nashville has received four wind advisories and three flood watches since February and five tornado watches this year.
Some folks may be experiencing some weather fatigue, particularly with severe weather risks happening during the night, according to Herron, including this week.
“We’ve got multiple things going on all at once,” Herron said.
National Weather Service The National Weather Service has forecasted up to 10 inches of rain in Middle Tennessee between April 2-6.
This is a developing story last updated at 12:47 p.m. Thursday.
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