Authorities in Tennessee said 21 people remained unaccounted for one day after deadly tornadoes ripped through the Volunteer State, killing at least 24 people and reducing whole communities to rubble.
More than 30,000 utility customers remained without power near Nashville Wednesday amid widespread damage that shut down roadways, destroyed hundreds of buildings and buried dozens of people under debris.
John C. Tune Airport, a small corporate facility near Nashville, reported about $93 million in damage — not counting 90 parked aircraft destroyed by the storm.
Officials said it was the deadliest tornado outbreak since at least 2011, with victims ranging in age from 2 to 67, according to news reports.
“Our hearts are with the families across TN facing devastation and heartbreak after deadly tornadoes struck our communities,” Gov. Bill Lee wrote on Twitter. “In memory of the many lives lost, flags over the capitol will fly at half-staff until Friday.”
A state of emergency remained in effect Wednesday, with Lee dispatching the National Guard to help with search-and-rescue efforts.
Among the hardest hit communities were East Nashville, Mount Juliet and Donelson, where winds reached 165 mph, CNN reported.
“I have no clue how we survived,” said Putnam County resident Seth Wells, who told CBS News a tornado picked up his home and tossed it through the air “like the ‘Wizard of Oz.’”
“It was this deep roar, rumbling sound that I’ve never heard before,” Wells said. “We were flying in the air into the trees back there where, once we hit those trees, the house just exploded.”
Wells survived with just some bruises, but his partner, Danielle Theophile, suffered a gash to the forehead that required 15 stitches.
In Nashville, crane operator Jason Nash posted dramatic video of a twister closing in on his crane while he was trapped 375 feet in the air — capturing what he believed would be his final minutes.
“Carla, there is a real tornado right there,” he is heard saying on the video. “Oh, my God. If something happens, make sure everybody knows I love them, Carla. This is no joke.
“There’s a real tornado right f–king there. Oh, my God; oh, my God; oh, my God.”
With Post wires
