Some parts of western Tennessee are dealing with severe tornado damage. The National Weather Service says two "very large" tornadoes hit the town of Selmer overnight. Images on social media show buildings destroyed in Selmer and debris scattered in the streets. Tornado Warnings were also in effect in the Nashville area, as a line of storms swept across Tennessee.
Many schools in the Nashville area canceled or delayed classes. Among them, Metro Nashville Public Schools will be closed today. Officials said all after-school activities, including sports practices, games, performances and meetings are also cancelled. District offices will be closed for in-person activities but working remotely.
The Nashville Office of Emergency Management’s Outdoor Tornado Warning Siren System encountered issues during the extended severe weather.
Multiple siren sites activated as NWS issued multiple Tornado Warnings for Metro Nashville Davidson County. The continued tornado warnings and sounding of the sirens drained the batteries in the sirens.
Once the batteries drained the sirens stopped sounding. In areas where there were power outages the sirens did not start to recharge until electricity was restored. The power has been restored to those sites.
"Residents are reminded that the Outdoor Tornado Warning Siren System is just one method of receiving alerts about dangerous weather conditions in the area. The sirens are designed to be heard outdoors and are not intended to be audible inside homes or buildings," said officials.