A line of severe storms began moving into Middle Tennessee Wednesday morning, prompting tornado warnings and causing extensive damage across the area.
A Storm 5 Alert was in effect as severe storms sweep through the region. A Tornado Warning was issued at 7 a.m. for several counties, including Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, and Wilson.
So far, the National Weather Service in Nashville had confirmed a small tornado touched down in the Monticello area and traveled to the area of Cool Springs Galleria. Other areas were still being surveyed to determine if more touched down.
Heavy damage was reported at the SunTrust Bank on Galleria Boulevard. The storm and tornado passed through during the peak of rush hour traffic.
Sirens began sounding in Nashville while reporter Dan Kennedy was on the air. Davidson County remained under a Tornado Watch until 10 a.m.
Franklin Police have reported several lines down, as well as trees and power lines. Travelers were advised to use extreme caution during commute.
A warm front brought scattered showers to the area on Tuesday, and those storms essentially primed the atmosphere ahead of Wednesday's cold front.
The Emergency Operations Center in Nashville was activated at 5 a.m. Wednesday in anticipation of the storms.
A possible tornado touched down in Illinois Tuesday night, causing significant damage as it moved into Kentucky and Tennessee.
Just before 8:30 p.m., a tornado watch was issued for many Southwestern Kentucky counties until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
For the latest weather updates, download the Storm Shield app on iOS and Android.
