Gov. Bill Lee visits Columbia: 'It's heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time'

Thursday's ongoing relief in Columbia following this week's storms brought a visit from Gov. Bill Lee, as well as other state officials who will continue assistance over the coming weeks.

Lee spent much of Thursday afternoon visiting some of the sites most affected by Wednesday's storms, which included an EF-3 tornado touching down off Bear Creek Pike, resulting in one fatality. More than 100 homes were reported damaged, 40 of which were considered a total loss.

Lee's visit also included meeting with local leaders and first responders, seeing how the state could continue providing help as trees are cleared, streets are cleaned and residents begin to pick up the pieces.

"There has been heartache from one side of the state to the other, and Maury County was the hardest hit spot, with significant flooding across the state," Lee said. "We wanted to meet out with the first responders, meet with the families and meet with the people that are intersecting this tragedy that has happened across our state."

TEMA and TDOT assess the damage

Accompanying Lee on Thursday were Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley.

Sheehan said TEMA will continue working over the next few weeks to conduct a more detailed damage assessment.

"We will be working with the mayors and other community leaders here moving forward," Sheehan said. "We are just glad to see the community come together and do a tremendous amount of work to support each other already. For those standing by and waiting for help, TDOT and TEMA will be putting out information about how to help, where to help and I encourage those with a heart to help to look at Maury County."

Eley said his crews began mobilizing earlier in the week in anticipation of Wednesday's storms, with their first response call occurring at 4 p.m. Wednesday, nearly two hours before the tornado hit at approximately 5:45 p.m.

"There were over 70 roads in this area that we responded to to make sure they could be opened up. Of those, we have about 12 that needed to be closed, and some of them are still closed," Eley said. "We are still monitoring those on an hourly basis to continue to make sure people can drive home safe."

Eley added that drivers taking to the roads should, if anything, adhere to TDOT signage and safety warnings appearing in designated disaster areas.

"The signage is there for a reason, and that is to keep our traveling public safe," Eley said. "We have all of these workers out here on the roadway and in the community, and so please respect those to keep them and yourselves safe."

Sheehan added that a big part of the recovery process is being prepared before disaster strikes and exercising swift coordination, which according to his assessment Maury County and other responding agencies were "very much in this together."

"They had already thought through some of these things, and that really speeds up how we get through things," Sheehan said. "Recovery is the long, hard part of it, and so folks will need to be working with their insurance companies. If folks have problems with their insurance company, the Tennessee Department of Commerce has a hotline that will help them adjudicate things, but be wary of vendors that are just showing up. Make sure they are reputable."

Heartbreaking, yet hopeful

When asked about his impressions of seeing the homes, speaking to families and citizens greatly affected by Wednesday's storms, Lee said it is "both heartbreaking and hopeful."

Hopeful in the sense that the community as a whole has responded to the call, from its police and fire crews to churches offering temporary shelter, food and other necessities to citizens, as well as the workers.

"It's heartbreaking, but really hopeful at the same time, and what's hopeful is that last night and through this morning there has been an incredible partnership," Lee said. "The local agencies that have engaged with TDOT and TEMA is working to make sure there is a coordinated effort. I'm really encouraged to see the local agencies come together and work like they have, and it's not just the local agencies."

The state partnering with local agencies will also be a next step in aiding the recovery.

"It's TEMA partnering with the Maury County Emergency Management here, partnering with the fire department here, the Sheriff's Department, police and other municipalities," Lee said. "There is a great deal of effort that comes together in partnerships, and our role is to orchestrate that partnership."

Lee's message to those suffering

Lee's message to citizens, especially those who suffered the biggest losses, was that hope is indeed possible. It's what he witnessed watching people pitch in to help their neighbors, and a community coming together to rebuild after a major disaster.

"Almost every time I'm out there, I see a neighbor standing alongside a family ... folks that have come along side them, brought them food, brought them hope, brought them prayers. They're doing what loving neighbors do, which brings hope," Lee said.

"Then comes the insurance adjustment, the TEMA representatives that give them the hotline numbers to call, and the professionals then begin to step in and provide certainty for their ability to start to put the pieces back together. Hope comes in a lot of different ways, and it starts with the prayer from that next door neighbor, but is completed when we all do our jobs accessing information for them, getting help and making sure we follow up, making sure the job isn't complete until it is complete."

Jay Powell is a general reporter for The Daily Herald. Get up-to-date news in your inbox by subscribing to The Daily Herald newsletter at www.ColumbiaDailyHerald.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Gov. Bill Lee visits Columbia: 'It's heartbreaking and hopeful'