In the early morning of March third, a devastating tornado ripped through parts of Middle Tennessee. Many families have been badly affected by this horrible tragedy, but Nashville is coming together to help those in need.
In the very early hours of March third, a deadly tornado ripped through Nashville and other parts of Middle Tennessee. It was the second most deadly tornado in Tennessee’s history, with 24 people reported dead. The tornado destroyed parts of Davidson County, where Nashville is located, Benton County, Wilson County, and Putnam County, with Putnam county being the hardest hit. The EF-4 tornado has killed 18 in Putnam county, including 5 children. Two people were killed in East Nashville. Nashville’s mayor, John Cooper, said on March third, “Last night was a reminder about how fragile life is.”. He declared a state of emergency later that day.
The tornado created a considerable amount of damage to many homes and buildings. More than 50.000 homes and businesses had lost power, with 47,000 of them still not having power on the afternoon of March third. In Nashville, at least 45 buildings had collapsed, creating a substantial amount of debris. Because of the debris and damage, many major streets in Nashville were closed. 93 million dollars worth of damage was done to the John C. Tune Airport, including damage to the terminal and 17 airplane hangars. However, this is not including the damage to the 90 aircraft that were there. Schools such as Donelson Christian Elementary and Meigs Middle School have been damaged. Metro Nashville Public Schools closed all schools for the rest of that week.
Nashville residents have banded together to help those in need. According to Mayor John Cooper, the Hands on Nashville website crashed 3 times because of the 5000 people signing up to volunteer. Many people have donated to multiple organizations including The Humane Association and multiple shelters for people displaced by the tornado. As of March 14, 114 of the 116 closed roadways have been re-opened. In addition, 71 of the 72 traffic signals damaged have been restored. Officials are working with Nashville Electrical Services to restore the last one. Lastly, 138,193 cubic yards of debris have been taken to transfer sites.
One major concern in the wake of this deadly tornado is the impact that Covid-19 will have on recovery efforts. Places such as the First Community Church in North Nashville offer many supplies and a sanctuary for people affected by the tornado, have been worried about the coronavirus affecting the number of volunteers and supplies coming in. As of now, places such as these continue to function but are taking precautionary measures such as wearing gloves.
How to help
If you would like to help the residents (or animals!) affected by this tornado, consider donating to the following organizations:
