Tornado sirens 'failed to alert Tennessee residents' to storm that killed 6

11 December 2023 , 01:35

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Jennifer Ricer looks for her belongings in the rubble of her home (Image: AP)

A tornado that killed six in Tennessee, US, including a child, reportedly hit without warning as emergency sirens failed to alert residents.

The storm wreaked havoc on Saturday, destroying homes, overturning trucks and uprooting trees, leaving an estimated 35,000 people without power and many families homeless. Tragically, three people lost their lives in Clarksville and another three in Madison, including a father and his two year old son.

As officials assess the damage, questions are being raised about why the tornado warning sirens didn't sound. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, when asked about this, said he couldn't explain why the sirens didn't go off until after the storm had passed. Nashville Fire Chief William Swann reported that first responders dealt with over 400 calls during the night and currently, 25 displaced people are staying in shelters, with more expected to join.

In an aerial view, the interior of a home is seen after its roof has been torn off in the aftermath of the tornado (Getty Images)

Montgomery authorities reported that 62 people were taken to hospitals. PowerOutage.us, a tracking website, has logged over 35,000 reports of power cuts across the state as of Sunday afternoon. A spokesperson for Nashville Electric Service said that while they've managed to restore power to 18,000 customers, there's no estimated time for full restoration due to significant damage at substations in Hendersonville and North Nashville. According to CNN, it could take days for the worst-hit areas to get their electricity back.

Two water companies in Sumner County are running on generator power, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Responders stated the storms caused several buildings to sustain damage in addition to 22 collapses (AP)

Freddie stated that the city will be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has already been in touch with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. When asked why tornado sirens didn't sound before the storm hit, Edwards admitted: "he couldn't respond as to why the warning sirens didn't go off until after the fact."

In addition, many homes in Clarksville are still without power. Clarksville's Mayor Joe Pitts told reporters on Sunday that it might take weeks to fully restore power. He mentioned that officials spent Sunday assessing the damage in local communities.

The Clarksville fire chief received 400 calls throughout the night (AP)

Joe expressed his sorrow in a statement, saying: "This is devastating news and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones. The City stands ready to help them in their time of grief." In addition, Clarksville Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden announced on Sunday that there would be no classes in Montgomery County on Monday and Tuesday.

Clarksville authorities have confirmed that search teams are still active in the area. The Clarksville Police Department issued a statement: "The road to recovery is going to take time and we ask that citizens who are not directly involved in search, rescue, or recovery efforts to avoid the impacted areas. Emergency Crews are working as quickly as possible, and operations will continue until the scenes have been checked and cleared."

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Abigail O'Leary