Tornadoes in Tennessee
On March 3rd, a series of strong tornadoes devastated much of Tennessee, with the damages going well beyond anyone's expectations. The twisters hit Nashville the hardest, affecting nearby areas as well. Weather forecasts from the Nashville Weather Service reported that there would be a high chance for thunderstorms and heavy winds, but a low chance for tornadoes to occur. But around midnight, the predicted thunderstorms turned into a supercell of hot and cold winds centered in Benton county, not far from Nashville. While the supercell traveled, a tornado watch was issued for counties in western and northern Tennessee. At around 12:00 a.m., however, the tornado watch was dropped. A representative from the Storm Prediction Center reported, “‘We did get some damage reports [earlier], and then we didn’t get any … it looked for a while that the storm had weakened’” (Washington Post).
Shortly after the tornado watch was taken down, the supercell traveling through Tennessee became a tornado and hit the John C. Tune Airport, not far from Nashville, destroying countless aircrafts in the process. The tornado quickly became a EF-3 tornado, and a tornado warning was announced shortly after the tornado left the airport. Being that the tornado hit late at night, thousands of people were asleep, left vulnerable to the twister’s wrath. The tornado tore through Davidson and Wilson counties before a second tornado formed near Cookeville county. Thankfully, this twister was not as powerful as the previous EF-4 tornado, which reached Putnam county where it did the most damage.
The tornadoes resulted in widespread devastation. A total of 24 people died, and all of the schools in the affected areas were closed for the remainder of the week. The damage done at the John C. Tune Airport is estimated to cost $93 million dollars. Putnam County, the hardest hit, saw the highest number of casualties, with a death toll of 18 people.
Of the 24 people who lost their lives in the disaster was a four year old girl named Hattie Collins. CNN reported a story from her father, Matt Collins, who uploaded a post on Facebook explaining the tragic loss of his young daughter. Collins told the story of how he and his family were affected during the time that the larger of the two tornadoes ripped through his home. Shortly after the storm was over, the Collins family was rushed to the hospital thanks to their neighbors, where all but Hattie survived. Matt Collins wrote in his blog, “Words do not do justice for how we feel for Hattie. The pain is unbearable at times, and present all the time. We have also been overwhelmed with love and support from all over” (CNN).
In the aftermath, Tennessee has received much help. Shirts, necklaces, and hats with the colors of the American flag along with the tag, Support Tennessee, have appeared online. The profits from these purchases go directly toward the tornado relief efforts. Many people have volunteered to help the tornado victims, with President Trump visiting the affected counties on Friday, March 6th. With the outpouring of support from people everywhere, it shows that no matter how devastating a natural disaster such as this can be, there will always be recovery.
Sources:
News Channel 5
CNN
Washington Post
Washington Post
CNN
News Channel 5
NPR