Tornado warnings were issued for large parts of East Tennessee Thursday night as severe storms swept through the region.
The National Weather Service identified potential storm rotation in some areas, leading to warnings and widespread damage.
A Fountain City church and portions of Deer Lodge were affected, though the storms had moved out of the area by midnight.
Morgan County, one of the first regions impacted by the storm, saw significant damage.
County Executive Brian Langley confirmed he was surveying the area around 9:35 pm, noting that Deer Lodge had been heavily impacted.
Authorities worked throughout the night to reach people who may have been trapped in their homes. Power outages affected at least 900 customers in Morgan County.
The Morgan County Emergency Management Agency reported "significant damage and injury" in the Deer Lodge area, as well as parts of Highway 27 and Sunbright.
They advised the public to avoid these areas until further notice, as emergency responders worked to clear debris and assess the situation.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) assisted local law enforcement and emergency crews near Deer Lodge, surveying the damage and searching for any possible victims. THP dispatched approximately 30 troopers to the area.
"We are on scene and assisting, and we would appreciate it if people stayed away from the area at this time," Captain Stacey Heatherly said in a social media post.
Wartburg Central High School was designated as a safe shelter for people in need of resources or shelter following the storms. It also served as a staging area for responding agencies.
Morgan County Today, a local news outlet, reported that the tornado warning interrupted a high school basketball game in Sunbright.
Players and spectators briefly sought shelter before returning to the game once the storm passed.
The storms continued to move through the region, triggering additional warnings from the National Weather Service. A storm cell south of Knoxville also showed rotation, prompting a Tornado Warning for that area.
At the Food City Center, where a Lady Vols game was taking place, attendees were temporarily held inside due to the storm.
Meanwhile, a tree fell on a church building in the Fountain City community.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and church leaders said a group hosting Bible study in the basement was unharmed, emerging after the storm to find the damage.
Downed trees and power lines were reported across the region as the storms moved through. This story will be updated with more specific information on damage as it becomes available.
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