Tennessee Tornadoes: Thousands Displaced, Powerless
TL/DR –
A series of tornadoes and storms caused severe damage in Tennessee, prompting officials to declare local states of emergency and causing power outages to more than 17,000 homes and businesses. Six people were killed, including a mother and her toddler, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Recovery efforts are underway, with shelters opened for displaced families; cleanup crews responding; and a GoFundMe account set up to assist one family who lost their home and their ten-year-old son.
Powerful Tornadoes Hit Tennessee: Thousands Displaced, Six Fatalities Reported
Several powerful tornadoes and storms over the weekend have resulted in mass displacement and extended power outages in Tennessee, cutting through the state and destroying hundreds of homes. Tragically, the severe weather events have claimed at least six lives, including a mother and her toddler.
Officials have declared local states of emergency in the worst-hit areas of Tennessee after at least two tornadoes were confirmed on Saturday. Schools were closed on Monday, and shelters have been opened for displaced families.
Over 17,000 homes and businesses were left without power on Monday in freezing temperatures. In Nashville, power restoration could take days, while in Clarksville, it could take weeks.
Several locations, including Hendersonville and the Nashville suburb Madison, were hit by a tornado with peak winds of 125 mph, the National Weather Service reported. Parts of Montgomery County and Logan County witnessed a single tornado traveling nearly 43 miles, leaving a path of destruction across both counties.
On Monday, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts described the devastating aftermath, stating that words cannot capture the severity of the damage witnessed. Three people, including a toddler, lost their lives in Madison when strong winds caused a mobile home to roll onto another home. Meanwhile, three more people were killed in Clarksville, where a tornado packing peak winds of 150 mph carved a path more than 11 miles long and left hundreds of severely damaged buildings in its wake.
The tragedy has left many families grieving, such as the Burnham family who lost their ten-year-old son Arlan. The family also lost their home and belongings. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help them recover.
As per Clarksville officials, 91 buildings were destroyed and 271 are “uninhabitable” after suffering “major damage.” The extent of the damage could cost an estimated $3 million in Nashville’s Davidson County alone, as per local emergency management director chief William Swann. These estimates could change as the recovery process continues.
Business owners in hard hit areas, like Hendersonville, are grappling with substantial damage to their storefronts, power outages both at home and at work. Teresa Spraggins, an employee at an auto repair business in the town, described the destruction as heartbreaking. Yet, she was grateful that no fatalities were reported in Hendersonville.
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