Nashville Tornado Update: At Least 8 Dead; 40 Buildings Damaged

At least eight people were killed, others were injured, 50,000 establishments lost power and 40 buildings collapsed in the wake of the storm that struck Nashville early Tuesday.

According to NBC News, one death was confirmed in Davidson County in Nashville, four deaths in Putnam County east of Nashville, one man was killed when a tornado hit his house in Benton County in the west and two more were killed in Wilson County.

Nashville's fire department reported in a tweet that they responded to 40 structures that collapsed around Nashville and that there were several building damages mainly in downtown and east precincts.

"Emergency responders are working to ensure persons can get out and secure the areas," police said.

People in Tennessee were preparing to vote in Super Tuesday primaries, but with the damages caused by the tornado, state officials worke to make sure that the residents can still vote for the polls.

In a The Tennessean report, the main street in east Nashville was closed at around 1:30 AM and was covered in fallen trees and debris and it was also mentioned that a part of a building collapsed onto the road.

Brett Withers, a council memeber tweeted that the neighborhood Five Points suffered a direct hit.

Meanwhile, schools in Nashville were to be closed on Tuesday due to the damage all over the city.

U.S. Representative Jim Cooper said that he would work with the mayor's office to request for federal assistance while his brother, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said that the authorities are examining the collapsed buildings in the city and make sure that all residents are accounted for.

Mount Juliet and Lebanon also took hard hits and reported "extensive damage to many homes" and road hazards.

Putnam County mayor Randy Porter spoke in a press confernce and said that the area is experiencing extensive power outages and have many injured residents.

According to the National Weather Service, tornado warnings had been issued in the communities of Cookeville, Monterey and Baxter early Tuesday while as of 2:50 AM, no more tornado warnings were put in place in Central Tennessee but warned of storms hitting the area with the possibility of lightning, heavy rain and of 40 to 50 mph winds.