Tennessee storms leave over 100K without power in Nashville area, off-duty firefighter killed
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Over 100,000 customers remain without power Monday across Middle Tennessee after a powerful line of thunderstorms left a path of destruction on Sunday and killed an off-duty firefighter.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Nashville said a 72-mph wind gust was reported at Nashville International Airport, which was the fifth-fastest wind gust officially measured in the city's history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there were some 242 reports of wind damage on Sunday, concentrated over the Southeast Missouri, Northeast Arkansas, and then stretching through Western and Middle Tennessee.
The powerful line of thunderstorms swept east across Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, with forecasters issuing severe thunderstorm warnings and delivering blunt statements as the storms with a history of winds near 70 mph approached.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There were some 242 reports of wind damage on Sunday, concentrated over the southeast Missouri, northeast Arkansas, and then stretching through western and middle Tennessee. (NOAA/SPC)
"Treat Severe Thunderstorm Warnings the same way you would Tornado Warnings and JUST TAKE SHELTER," the NWS tweeted. "70 mph is 70 mph whether it's spinning around in a circle or blowing in a straight line."
Images and video shared to social media showed the storms approaching.
The powerful line of storms brought down power lines, with reports some poles snapped in half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nashville Electric Service said on Twitter with 130,000 without power, even after the height of the storms, made the incident on Sunday one of the largest outages on record.
As of Monday morning, the number of customers without power was down to around 100,000. Extra resources were being brought in so crews work throughout the night and restore power as quickly as possible.
TORNADO SEASON DEADLIEST SINCE 2011 AFTER SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAKS IN TENNESSEE, SOUTH
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Metro Public Works told FOX17 there were reports of 80 trees down throughout Davidson County.
There was one weather-related death due to the storms across Tennessee.
A powerful line of thunderstorms snapped trees and brought down power lines across Middle Tennessee on Sunday. (Spring Hill Police Department)
The Spring Hill Police Department said Spring Hill firefighter Mitchell Earwood died in a weather-related incident at his home while he was off duty.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Our hearts go out to the Spring Hill Fire Department and the Earwood family," police said on Facebook. "Fire Fighter Earwood served the City for 10 years. Rest In Peace Brother."
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The storms came two months after a tornado and severe weather outbreak were blamed for several deaths in and around Nashville.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A weather system moving out of the Central Plains into the mid-Mississippi River Valley will spread scattered strong thunderstorms across the region from Monday into Monday night, with the Middle Tennessee area under a marginal threat.
"We have the potential for another round of strong to severe storms across the Plains States, the Ohio, the Tennessee River Valley later on today," Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean said Monday on "Fox & Friends."
Large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes are among the threats on Monday.
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"I know I sound like a broken record because every week now we've had the potential for strong to severe storms," Dean said on "Fox & Friends."
Fox News' Brandon Noriega contributed to this report.