AUTHORITIES TAKE STOCK AFTER DEADLY TORNADOES
A day after a series of storms and tornadoes cut a devastating path across central Tennessee, authorities combed through the rubble of smashed houses and gutted businesses, searching for victims and helping survivors take stock.
The storms were at their worst early Tuesday, shortly after midnight. On Wednesday, authorities said at least two dozen people had been killed by flying debris, collapsing buildings and other hazroad ards created by the winds.
The death toll was highest in Putnam County, where 18 people were killed, Randy Porter, the county’s mayor, said at a news conference Wednesday morning. The dead included 13 adults and five children under the age of 13.
As rescue efforts continued, the number of people missing fluctuated, a sign of how difficult it could be to search for people across a wide area of power outages and sometimes dangerous conditions. More than 80 people were unaccounted for Tuesday night, then 22 Wednesday morning and then 17 by midday.
Deaths were reported in Wilson and Benton counties, but officials there said there were no reports of missing people.
As the storms swept through central Tennessee, some residents fought to keep their relatives safe, even as their homes collapsed around them. Shirley Brooks, who lives in North Nashville, said there were 16 people living in her house when a tornado hit.
“My daughter and her kids were in the living room,” she said. “The storm hit the window and took it straight out. She was running, grabbing the kids.”
Brooks said she struggled to escape and yelled for help as the house fell apart, and a piece of the roof struck her back. She was eventually able to climb out and over a fence, but her home was destroyed.