Tornadoes kill at least 22 people, leave trail of destruction in and around Nashville

Tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, demolishing homes and businesses, causing multiple injuries, and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power.
The tornado touched down northwest of Nashville shortly before 12:40 a.m. Eastern time, the National Weather Service said. Damage was reported along a path that ended about 10 miles east of the city, in Hermitage, Tenn., according to the Associated Press.
At least 22 people have died because of the storms, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, including in Putnam, Wilson and Benton counties. In Davidson County, where Nashville is, police said a man and woman were killed when they were struck by debris.
At least 20 people have been hospitalized, Nashville Mayor John Cooper (D) said early Tuesday. Thirty first-responders have also been injured, according to the fire department.Nashville Electric Service President Decosta Jenkins said that at least 50,000 people were without power after four major substations were damaged and more than 80 utility poles knocked down. Jenkins said it will be a “massive coordinated effort” to restore power to those whose homes can still accept it, warning that it was unknown when there would be a full restoration of power.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) declared a state of emergency Tuesday and said he had already been in contact with the White House in anticipation of federal assistance Tennessee will need in the coming days and beyond. The governor said he would survey the damage via helicopter later in the day.
At a speech before the National Association of Counties, Trump said he’s visiting Tennessee on Friday.
“Our hearts are full of sorrow for the lives that were lost,” Trump said. “It’s a vicious thing, those tornadoes. I’ve seen many of them during a three-year period. If you’re in their path, bad things happen. Really bad things happen.”