Severe storms kill 6, injure 23 in U.S. Tennessee

HOUSTON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least six people have been killed and 23 others injured as a result of severe storms in the U.S. state of Tennessee, authorities said Saturday.

Two adults and one child were killed in Montgomery County which was hit by a tornado Saturday afternoon, while three more deaths were reported in the suburbs of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee.

"Due to potential dangers from the weather, downed power lines, and debris, we (ask) that the community shelter in place and stay off the roadway," the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. A shelter has been set up at a local high school for those who need assistance.

There were more than a dozen reports of tornadoes in Tennessee and Kentucky Saturday into Saturday night, causing damage in several areas, according to the Weather Channel report.

The weather is part of a cross-country system expected to bring severe thunderstorms, high wind and tornadoes to the South through the weekend, said the report.

The storms came nearly two years to the day after the National Weather Service recorded 41 tornadoes through a handful of states, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.