The fatalities were reported in Nashville and Clarksville, both of which saw at least one tornado. Officials believe multiple such incidents occurred around the state.
Six people were killed and many were injured when tornadoes devastated Nashville and the Tennessee town of Clarksville early Saturday evening, according to officials.
According to Michelle Newell, a spokesman for Montgomery County, where Clarksville is located, the dead include two adults and one child.
She claimed another 23 Clarksville residents were brought to hospitals.
According to the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, three persons were also killed in a northern Nashville neighborhood near Nesbitt Lane. It warned residents to avoid the region because of "severe damage" and downed power lines.
According to the office, thirteen individuals were hurt in a church collapse about 9 miles north of downtown Nashville and were stabilized after being transferred to hospitals.
According to the office, a National Weather Service radar indicated a "large and extremely dangerous tornado" was spinning about 30 miles west of Nashville and heading east at 40 mph around 4 p.m.
"This was considered a particularly dangerous situation," the statement said.
In this snapshot from a social media video, homes in Clarksville, Tennessee, were destroyed by a potential tornado on Saturday.Reuters / Noemi Canales
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell announced a state of emergency late Saturday and recommended residents to avoid areas with substantial damage, including Madison, the city's "hardest-hit" neighborhood, according to a statement.
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts also declared a curfew of 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday "for the health, safety, and welfare of the community," according to a second statement.
"This is a sad day for our community," stated Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden in a statement. "We are praying for those who have been injured, who have lost loved ones, and who have lost their homes." This community comes together like no other, and we intend to stay until the end."
Officials said the numbers could change as authorities continued to search for survivors into the night.
On Saturday, multiple tornadoes were reported across Tennessee.
Authorities in Weakley County, in the state's northeast, reported trapped residents and damaged homes following an apparent tornado.
According to county Sheriff Paul Thomas, a tornado in Gibson County, northeast of Memphis, caused "significant damage" to homes as well as downed power lines and trees.
Ethan Goad, a resident of Rutherford, said the local fire station was destroyed and "everyone around me was freaking out."
On Saturday, a possible tornado damaged homes in Clarksville, Tennessee.Kayla Ninchritz and Kizzy Rae
Cindy Walls of the Gibson County Fire Department confirmed damage to the Rutherford station and other town structures.
"We have damage to homes, barns and other structures as well," she went on to say.
According to Thomas, the reported tornado caused "significant damage" to structures.
Gov. Bill Lee posted on the social media platform X that he and his wife, Maria, "are praying for all Tennesseans who have been impacted by the tornadoes that swept through the state this evening."
According to poweroutage.us, more than 50,000 utility customers in Tennessee were without power overnight, with outages concentrated in Middle Tennessee.
The National Weather Service confirmed at least one tornado in Clarksville. Images from the city show structures reduced to twisted piles of wood and trees on wet ground.
Other reported tornadoes were not officially confirmed by the weather service but were thought to be likely, according to a Nashville weather service forecaster.
The weather service usually sends out observers the next day to confirm a tornado by measuring its path and documenting damage.
Forecasters said the tornadoes were caused by warm, wet Gulf Coast air colliding with cold air from the north as it moved east along a front.