A surprise severe storm produced downed trees, power outages and damage reports across Jackson, Overton and Putnam Counties Thursday night.
The Rickman area appears to be the epicenter of the damage as of 7:20pm. A National Weather Service spotter reported a tornado on the ground at Highway 111 and Highway 293 in Rickman around 6:30pm. Pictures followed of damage at the retail stores located near the intersection with roofing panels and/or siding blown off. Several trees and power lines also downed.
Upper Cumberland Electric reported nearly 1,000 power outages in the Rickman area as of 7:40pm. Volunteer Energy reported about 40 percent of its Overton County customers without power. The utility also reported significant outages along the White County/Cumberland County border.
Three tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service, first as the storms moved into Jackson County. The storm decreased in intensity as it moved into Fentress County.
