Tornadoes reaching speeds as fast as 140 miles per hour ripped through Columbia, Tennessee, this week, leaving mass wreckage and three people dead.
In videos posted to social media, you can see the devastation. The channel Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers described it as "driving through a war path" as the storm tore apart trees along the country roads.
Driving through the Columbia, #Tennessee #tornado #damage path felt like driving through a war path... So many trees destroyed... #TNwx pic.twitter.com/UzyJqpzaLs
— Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers (@ChicagoMWeather) May 10, 2024
The video shows rows and rows of trees broken in half and knocked over as work crews try to clear off debris. Behind those trees, roofs were ripped off of houses, a variety of vehicles were flipped over, and other general mayhem occurred in the rural area.
With 140-mile-per-hour winds, Columbia's tornado was classified as an EF3, but in other areas, the winds were less powerful. The National Weather Service in Nashville reported EF1 and EF0 tornadoes, meaning winds reached 90 and 80 miles per hour, respectively.
Columbia, #Tennessee #TORNADO #Damage! Cars, RVs, and Semis thrown across the field. Significant damage to homes, or completely wiped... Contact [email protected] for licensing. #TNwx pic.twitter.com/MgvM3AAhdj
— Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers (@ChicagoMWeather) May 9, 2024
According to reports, tornadoes touched down late Thursday in Maury County, which is where Columbia is located, and then spread to Robertson County and Rutherford.
Late last month, other areas of the United States were also devastated by tornadoes. Oklahoma lost four people and experienced mass power outages in addition to injuries and damage. And then in Nebraska, areas saw tornadoes classified as EF3 with wind speeds exceeding 165 miles per hour. They were going so fast they even derailed a train.
