24 dead, Nashville venue Basement East severely damaged in Tennessee tornado

Update: Since posting this news, the death toll has risen from eight to at least 24.

A tornado hit Nashville and Middle Tennessee on Tuesday (3/3) morning around 1 AM, leaving at least 24 dead, over 150 hospitalized, and over 40 structures collapsed, the Tennessean reports. Among the buildings damaged by the storm was the beloved East Nashville venue The Basement East. The venue posted on Instagram, "All staff working tonight are safe! They took cover in the basement of The Basement East. Building is severely damaged. We love you Nashville, we are with you and hope you are safe." You can see a photo of the wreckage above.

Basement East co-owner Mike Grimes also told Rolling Stone, "The tornado hit at approximately 1:15 a.m., the Bernie benefit was over, and our conscientious staff of five ran down to the basement with seconds to spare before the roof blew off. All are safe. We are so fortunate. The venue is pretty much a total loss."

Tonight's (3/3) Elohim show at the Basement East has also been cancelled, and the venue is working on relocating other upcoming shows:

More details on the story via the Tennessean:

At least 40 structures collapsed around the city, according to the Nashville Fire Department. In addition, windows were blown out and powerlines were torn down in an area that stretched from the Germantown neighborhood, north of downtown, into the Five Points area of East Nashville and more than 20 miles to the east in Mt. Juliet.

Officials scrambled to open emergency shelters around the metro area as emergency sirens continued to wail and the smell of natural gas lingered in the air.

In East Nashville, Main Street was closed following the storm and covered in half-fallen trees and other debris.

Part of a building had collapsed onto the road at Fifth Street and Main Street.

Water was pouring out of the light fixtures of a building at Main and Ninth streets. Power lines were down and glass covered the ground. A truck was on its side nearby.

Residents of Stacks On Main, on Main Street near Nissan Stadium, reported their windows burst during the heavy winds, sending glass shards throughout their apartment, as well as minor flooding.

Buildings in the area suffered power outages. Apartment complexes located off Main Street had siding, slabs of concrete and other building materials ripped from structures.

You can read more here and stay tuned for any further updates.

Archers of Loaf, whose tour was scheduled to start at Basement East on Saturday (3/7), say they'll "provide more information on the scheduled event this weekend as it becomes available."

Several musicians and members of the music community are sending love to Nashville...