At least 25 people have died in destructive tornadoes in the southern US state. The damage and travel risks caused voting to close late in Super Tuesday primaries in Tennessee.
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Tornadoes raged through the US state of Tennessee on Tuesday, leaving at least 25 people dead and buildings, cars and planes ripped apart.
The destruction came hours before the southern state voted in Super Tuesday primaries, the most important day in choosing which Democrat candidate will go into the presidential race. Voting was kept open late in many parts of the state owing to the extreme weather and travel risks.
Tens of thousands of people lost power while others had to run for cover as the tornado arrived with little warning. Many people were sleeping when the first round of tornadoes took place early on Tuesday morning.
Hangars and planes at Nashville's John C. Tune airport were also seriously damaged.
'We will rebuild'
Tennessee governor Bill Lee declared an emergency and set up rescue efforts across the state.
He wrote on Twitter that "we will continue deploying search and rescue teams, opening shelters across the state, and sending emergency personnel to our communities hit hardest."
"We encourage all Tennesseans to joins us in praying for the families across the state that are facing tragedy today," the Republican governor added.
Many buildings were missing their roofs, while roads were made impassible. The city of Nashville was especially badly hit.
One tornado in nearby Putnam County damaged more than 100 structures along a path of destruction that lasted for several miles. Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew.
"We are resilient and we're going to rebuild,'' Nashville Mayor John Cooper said. US President Donald Trump also announced he will visit the affected areas on Friday.
Hurricane Dorian batters US southeast coast
After carving a path of destruction across the Bahamas, a weakened Hurricane Dorian crawled along the coast of the southeastern US, flooding roads and unleashing tornadoes. It made US landfall as a Category 1 storm.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/A. West
Hurricane Dorian hits North Carolina
Hurricane Dorian briefly made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Friday, hitting the barrier islands with powerful winds and battering waves days after reducing parts of the Bahamas to rubble. Downgraded to a Category 1 storm, Dorian had maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (150 km per hour), according to the National Hurricane Center.
Image: Getty Images/M. Wilson
Not a day at the beach
Hatteras Island on Friday as Dorian passes over. Storm-hardened locals were reportedly surprised by the force of the storm, and many people have been reported trapped by floodwaters.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/S. Earley
Dorian weakens but still dangerous
A Category 2 Hurricane Dorian shown here off the coast of the US state of Georgia on Tuesday night. The storm slowly moved northward targeting South and North Carolina over Wednesday and Thursday, with the eye remaining just off the coastline.
Image: picture-alliance/Noaa
Batten down the hatches
A boarded-up shop in the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina on Thursday as Dorian approaches. Many residents of the area heeded evacuation orders, while others prepared to ride out the storm.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/J. Collins
The storm approaches
Storm surge as Dorian moves north off the coast of North Carolina on Thursday. Forecasters said the center of the storm would graze the North Carolina coast Thursday night into Friday morning with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (161 kph).
Image: picture-alliance/AP/J. Wall
Damaging tornadoes
A waterspout spawned by Dorian reportedly tore through a mobile home park located near the coast of Emerald Isle, North Carolina on Thursday.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Wall
Streets under water
As Dorian moved along the South Carolina coast on Thursday, storm surges and heavy rain flooded the city of Charleston. Weather forecasters warned that some areas of the Carolina coast could see storm surges of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) and between 6 and 12 inches of rain.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/V. Elibol
Too close for comfort
Dorian grazed the coast of Florida on Tuesday as a strong Category 4 storm. The eye remained far enough off at sea and spared the area from major damage.
Image: Getty Images/S. Olson
Total destruction in the Bahamas
Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas as a monster Category 5 storm. Abaco Island was one of the worst-hit areas. The health minister of the Bahamas said Thursday that the death toll is expected to rise as clean up efforts get underway.