Nashville takes direct hit from tornadoes; at least nine confirmed dead as state prepares to vote

Tennessee state officials have announced that “all polling stations will remain open.” However, it’s unclear just how many of those polling stations were themselves either destroyed or made unsafe, or are inaccessible due to the storms. Also, more than 50,000 people in the city remained without power on Tuesday morning, suggesting that other polling stations may be intact but still unusable. Considering that images from the scene have shown several destroyed schools and churches, it seems highly unlikely that all polling places are intact.

The National Weather Bureau reported that the first of the storms struck around 1 AM and stayed on the ground for approximately 10 miles to near Hermitage, Tennessee. Funnel clouds also touched the ground in counties to the east of Nashville as the storm moved on, and the total path for one tornado may have been 60 miles. The Tennessean has a photo article up with dozen of shots of the damage overnight. Shelters are being set up for those left homeless by the storm. 

Davidson County, where Nashville is located, is the second most populous county in Tennessee and was was one of just three counties in the state that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. In the 2016 primary, the county voted for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. How the storms will affect voting in Nashville, and results of the primary, is unclear.

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