Giles County hit by EF2 tornado, NWS confirms

GILES COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Preliminary data from the National Weather Service says an EF2 tornado struck Prospect in Giles County during the wave of severe storms this week.

According to the NWS, preliminary information from the site survey team estimates wind speeds of up to 115 miles an hour made up the EF3 tornado that hit Wednesday, May 8.

The NWS said the tornado carved an approximately 5.7-mile path through Prospect, stopping just west of Interstate 65. The tornado was estimated to be 600 yards wide during its trek.

There was one critical injury attributed to the twister, according to NWS.

Giles County was one of several areas hit by tornadoes during the storms Wednesday afternoon.

Maury County saw an EF3 tornado stay on the ground for 27 minutes, and Robertson County logged an EF1 tornado, per damage seen by NWS teams. In Rutherford County, near Eagleville, an EF0 tornado with wind speeds of up to 80 miles an hour was confirmed by weather officials.