More than 20 people were killed and dozens of buildings were destroyed when tornadoes and strong storms ripped through Tennessee late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning.

Storm surveys will be conducted Tuesday to determine the strength of the tornadoes, AccuWeather said, though it's already clear in some areas that the damage is devastating.

The tornado that tore through parts of Nashville touched down shortly before 1 a.m. local time, knocking power for more than 47,000 customers in the Nashville metro area and leaving at least 48 structures collapsed, according to city officials.

"It is heartbreaking," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said at a Tuesday morning press conference. “We have had loss of life all across the state. Four different counties, as of this morning, had confirmed fatalities.”

More:Mapping the toll of Tuesday's storms and tornadoes in Nashville

Lee described Tuesday as “a day of assessment.”

“We’ve really just begun to realize the extent of physical damage. We know that there may be even more fatalities as the day unfolds," he said. "There are missing persons, there’s search and rescue teams right now underway.”

Some of Nashville's iconic attractions were affected as well. Popular concert venue Basement East was destroyed, though a large sign on the outside of the building that reads "I believe in Nashville" symbolically still stands.

"There are businesses in Five Points that basically don’t exist anymore," Precinct Commander David Imhof said of a popular cultural hub in East Nashville.

Here is a jarring look at the destruction Tennessee is facing.

How to help or get help:Community Foundation, Hands on Nashville, United Way and Red Cross

Tennessee tornadoes:Here's what we know

Follow USA TODAY's Jay Cannon on Twitter: @JayTCannon

Contributing: The Nashville Tennessean

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