A possible tornado ripped through communities near Knoxville, Tennessee, Thursday night causing widespread damage and an unknown number of deaths and injuries.
Morgan County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency said in a statement on its Facebook page that a “possible tornado” touched down at 8:27 p.m in the Deer Lodge and Sunbright areas, about 60 miles west of Knoxville.
The agency said this resulted in “severe property damage, injuries, and loss of life,” but provided no details on the number of casualties nor the nature of any injuries.
More than 2,700 energy customers were without power as of 5:30 a.m., according to PowerOutage.us, and phone and internet connections have been affected.
“Local, county, and state first responders, along with emergency personnel from multiple agencies and jurisdictions, are actively engaged in search and rescue operations and assessing individual safety,” the statement said. More than 100 staff are working to assist those in need, the statement added, and people are urged to avoid the affected areas.
Captain Stacey Heatherly, with Tennessee Highway Patrol, said in a video on Facebook that state troopers were assisting in the search for “any people that are missing” in Morgan County and were available to respond to other parts of the state if necessary
Tornado warnings were issued across east Tennessee Thursday night, as storms moved through the region. Footage shared to Tiktok showed a tornado siren and police sirens in Sevierville, east of Knoxville.
NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville showed pictures of flash flooding in Knoxville and reported from a church in Fountain City, where a tree fell through the roof as a youth group was taking part in a Bible study in the basement. No injuries were reported.
WBIR showed footage of torrential, horizontal rain and also of hailstones bigger than coins.
Morgan County has set up an emergency operations center and there are additional facilities including at Wartburg Central High School.
Elsewhere, a tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service Thursday in south-central Kentucky, with wind speeds of up to 95 mph causing extensive damage in Hart County, a hour south of Louisville, although no injuries were reported.
Much of the Lower 48 states have experienced some form of severe winter weather, including a widespread thick coating of ice, in the last week, with as many as 100 million people under alerts and warnings on Wednesday.