A suspected tornado struck a small East Tennessee community after dark on Thursday, resulting in the tragic deaths of two individuals, as reported by local emergency managers. The incident occurred as part of a winter storm that caused widespread havoc across the eastern United States.
The severe weather hit Morgan County, claiming the lives of a mother and daughter in the same residence, according to the county's Emergency Management & Homeland Security office. The agency disclosed the information on Friday via Facebook, without providing specific ages or further identifying details.
In addition to the fatalities, three injuries were also reported in a county that has experienced deadly and damaging tornadoes in the past.
The suspected tornado struck the communities of Deer Lodge and Sunbright around 8:27 p.m., causing severe property damage. The National Weather Service is set to dispatch a team to Deer Lodge to confirm whether the destruction was indeed caused by a tornado.
Over 100 emergency responders have been deployed in the county, including members of a Tennessee Highway Patrol strike team tasked with locating any missing individuals and providing assistance where needed.
As daylight broke on Friday morning, assessments of the damage began. Emergency management spokesperson Aaron Evans stated that teams would work to evaluate the extent of the damage and assess the number of homes affected.
By 9:45 a.m. on Friday, approximately 8% of Morgan County remained without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
The damaging winds struck after sunset, making it challenging for residents to perceive the imminent danger. Studies have shown that nighttime tornadoes are twice as likely to result in fatalities compared to daytime occurrences.
If confirmed that a tornado caused the tragic deaths in Morgan County, it would mark the first deadly tornado event of 2025, with a total of twenty tornadoes reported in the United States so far this year.
Morgan County has experienced several tornadoes since 1965, including a devastating F3 tornado in 2002 that claimed seven lives, as well as an EF1 tornado in Sunbright last year.
While Tennessee typically averages three tornadoes in February, fewer than the prime months of April and May for such events nationwide, last year saw a total of 45 tornadoes across the country during the month of February.
