By Simone Jasper

The News & Observer

Deadly tornadoes ripped through central Tennessee, leaving leveled buildings and downed power poles in their path.

At least 22 people died after a storm system spawned the tornadoes near Nashville, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.

The storm lifted a power pole out of the ground and left it resting precariously over an East Nashville intersection, a dramatic photo from WTVF shows.

In the same area, a flattened building was amid streets that were littered with debris, according to drone footage from WKRN.

The exterior of one building was ripped to shreds, according to a tweet from the Tennessean.

At one structure, pictures show a collapsed ceiling and materials scattered across the ground, a WTVF reporter tweeted.

About 40 buildings were damaged in Nashville, the Associated Press reported.

As of 6:15 a.m., more than 47,000 power outages were reported, the Metro Nashville Police Department wrote on Twitter.

Officials on Tuesday morning encouraged residents to avoid areas where the tornadoes touched down.

“Tornado damage has been reported throughout West and Middle Tennessee including downtown Nashville,” the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.