The tornado that left numerous dead and injured in the early morning hours of March 3, 2020 left a 210 mile broken trail of destruction in middle Tennessee.

The tornado formed and initially hit the ground in Carroll County as an EF-2. Damage was reported there as it marched east at a fast pace of 60-70 miles per hour.

It went into Benton County touching down again in the west part of the county. Again, damage was reported.

The tornado was gaining strength in the upper atmosphere running into warmer air and now was targeting Nashville.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Nashville just after midnight and reported it hitting the ground. The strong tornado tore through a part of downtown Nashville about a half mile north of the capitol causing damage to numerous structures. Initial reports indicated two dead and over 100 injured. Metro Nashville Police Department identified two people killed when the tornado struck 36-year-old Michael Dolfini and his girlfriend, Albree Sexton, 33. The couple had just left the Attaboy lounge, where Dolfini worked, when they were fatally injured by debris

The march east continues and minutes later the tornado caused damage in Wilson County and the City of Lebanon. Three people died in the tornado. James and Donna Eaton, 84 and 81, at their home on Catalpa Drive. Brandy Barker, 38, also died.

The tornado was rated an EF-3 when it struck Nashville and Wilson County.

High winds took place in Smith County as the tornadic cell went through. Damage was reported in Smith County from the storm.

The tornado continues to jump on the ground continuing east….but was gaining strength in the process.

Its next target would be Putnam County and the west side of Cookeville.

At 1:48 a.m. central time, Putnam County would change forever as the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the western part of the county. A couple of minutes later the tornado struck and stayed on the ground between Baxter to near Willow Avenue in Cookeville. As of 1:15 p.m. today, the death toll stood at 18 in Putnam County with nearly 90 injured. Click on link to go to list of deceased in Putnam County:

http://1057news.com/2020/03/04/11/53/09/identities-of-children-and-adults-killed-in-putnam-county-tornado-released/

The National Weather Service would later rate the Putnam County tornado an EF-4 with winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour. It would be the most destructive tornado to ever hit Putnam County.

The tornado then experienced the plateau. It came off the ground but maintained rotation in the sky as it traveled at 60 miles per hour east towards Monterey.

Cumberland County was then under the gun around 2:30 a.m. central as the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the northern section of Cumberland Count and extreme southern part of Fentress County. No reports came in of the tornado touching down in northern Cumberland County. The cell went over the Rinnie area as it continued to press east at a fast pace.

By the time the tornadic cell got into Morgan County, it made one final touchdown just across the Cumberland/Morgan County line as a small rope tornado (EF-0) with winds of 85 miles per hour. It was on the ground a brief time before finally going away for good.

(map track courtesy of WRCB)