If you've seen the video on the Weather Channel this evening, it's
amazing - a tornado moving through downtown Nashville, TN. Here are a
handful of live reports distributed through broadcast-net and forwarded
by Powell:
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Subject: (Fwd) [BC] nashville update
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:08:51 +0500
From: powell{at}scsn.net (Powell Way)
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:04:01
To: broadcast{at}broadcast.net
From: "WMTA AM 1380, INC." <>
Subject: [BC] nashville update
Reply-to: broadcast{at}broadcast.net
reports coming in estimate the main tornado in Nashville as F2 or F3.
estmated damage $100 million +.
apparently a crane was lifted and drop at the construction site of the
new football stadium being built for the new home of Tennessee Oilers
(formerly Houston Oilers).
damage apparently done to the Nashville Electric Service Plant so they may
have
some problems getting power up throughout.
In Bowling Green, WBKO-TV 13 (ABC) covered their tornado live on the air.
Hail damaged the cars in their parking lot knocking out glass and denting
cars.
Some structure damage even to their studios. Now they are dealing with flash
floods there.
All Nashville TV stations except for 2 (FOX and UPN) and several LPTV's have
managed to return to air. It appears that only the NBC TV WSMV 4 is able to
broadcast from their studios at this time.
We are able to get more Nashville radio than two hours ago so it appears some
of the radio stations are coming back up, possible they were off due to power
outages. Can't report anything for sure as we are unable to get through on
land line to Nashville.
7PM CDT
Bryan Smeathers
President/GM WMTA AM 1380, Inc./W16BP-LPTV
visit: http://biz-comm.com/wmta
From: "WMTA AM 1380, INC." <>
Subject: [BC] Rash of Tornados In Mid Tennessee and Southern KY NOW
Reply-to: broadcast{at}broadcast.net
In the past one hour several tornados have touched down in mid-Tennessee
and South Western Kentucky. Our station is abou 75 miles north of Nashville.
2 tornados have touched down in Nashville in the past 40 minutes. No reports
confirmed yet of death or injury although just heard AP is reporting 100
injuries. The only Nashville TV signal we are receiving at this time is
WSMV -4 (NBC). The CBS, ABC, FOX and UPN affiliates are apparently off the
air. Also we are receiving few radio signals from Nashville.
Tennessee Govenor just declared Nashville a "disaster area" as I write this
4:41 PM CDT.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:06:10 -0500
Reply-to: broadcast{at}broadcast.net
To supplement Bryan's statement, most of the Nashville FM's stayed on the air, the EAS has been going off non-stop for two days and some injury reports are trickling in. FWIW, WUXP UPN 30, our statioGov. Sundquist just held a live press conference, decla
r
ing Nashville a disaster area. WKRN (ABC ch 2) has been on the air with live shots from all over downtown. Their video has been great and well Flash flood warnings, traffic jams, downed cell phone tower. About all that seems to work is the Internet <vbse
g
>.
Going home now. Take care.
Things are crazy here. Our TV station's transmitter is off, due to lack of power. The CBS affiliate (WTVF) lost their studio power and STL and was operating with one cam and one mic with two anchors The ABC affilaite (WKRN) is doing by far the best job.
T
he NBC station (WSMV) is a close second. They lost their sat receive dishes off the top of their studio building and power lines downed across Their are churches, buildings, power lines etc down all across the city. Car windows exploding, old buildings c
o
llapsing, but apparently no one has been seriously hurt.
I'll give you more of a report tomorrow.
Safe and sound,
Gibson
WZTV Nashville
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