Tornadoes devastate Tennessee, killing at least 24 people

A man looks over buildings destroyed by storms Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. At least two tornadoes touched down early Tuesday in central Tennessee, including one that ripped across areas near downtown Nashville and caused multiple buildings to collapse. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) A man looks over buildings destroyed by storms Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. At least two tornadoes touched down early Tuesday in central Tennessee, including one that ripped across areas near downtown Nashville and caused multiple buildings to collapse. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By TRAVIS LOLLER and KIMBERLEE KRUESI / The Associated Press March 3, 2020 8 min read

UPDATE: The twister that hit Putnam County was classified EF-4, the second strongest, with winds of 175 mph, the National Weather Service said Wednesday evening.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Rescuers searched through shattered Tennessee neighborhoods for bodies Tuesday, less than a day after tornadoes ripped across Nashville and other parts of the state as families slept. At least 24 people were killed, some in their beds, authorities said.

The twisters that struck in the hours after midnight shredded more than 140 buildings and buried people in piles of rubble and wrecked basements. The storms moved so quickly that many people in their path could not flee to safer areas.

“It hit so fast, a lot of folks didn’t have time to take shelter,” Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said. “Many of these folks were sleeping.”