Tornadoes hit Tennessee, killing at least 22 people

The death toll from tornadoes that ripped across Tennessee has climbed to at least 22.

The storms struck early Tuesday as families slept.

The twisters shredded more than 140 buildings and buried people in piles of rubble and wrecked basements.

Authorities say many of the victims were hit before they could even get out of bed.

Daybreak revealed landscapes littered with blown-down walls and roofs, snapped power lines and huge broken trees.

Schools, courts, transit lines and the state capitol were closed.

More than a dozen polling stations were also damaged, forcing Super Tuesday voters to wait in long lines at alternative sites.