Tennessee tornadoes updates: Thousands remain without power days after deadly storms
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Recovery from the catastrophic string of tornadoes that wrecked several counties in Middle Tennessee entered its third full day Tuesday morning, with cleanup efforts, blood drives and supply donations happening across the affected areas.
As communities try to start the process of rebuilding what was lost, many in Middle Tennessee are grieving the loss of a family member, neighbor or friend. The National Weather Service has confirmed that six people died in Saturday’s storms, with dozens more injured.
By Monday evening, authorities had identified all six victims.
In Clarksville, there was 10-year-old Arlan Coty, who “had the most infectious and special energy about him.” Coty loved learning, basketball and the Los Angeles Lakers, his favorite team. Also killed in the Clarksville tornado that ripped through 43 miles of earth were Donna Allen, 59, from Florida, and Stephen Kwaah Hayes, 34, from Clarksville.
In Madison, 37-year-old Joseph Dalton died protecting his son and mother from the storm. The winds lifted his mobile home off its foundation and into the air, landing on top of his neighbor’s mobile home, killing 31-year-old Floridema Gabriel Perez and her 2-year-old son Anthony Elmer Mendez. Perez’s 7-year-old son survived the storm.
An estimated 13 tornadoes hit the region Saturday afternoon and evening, and the National Weather Service had classified the storms’ severity in several counties, from Montgomery to Davidson, by Monday evening.
You can find resources on how to get help here.
You can learn how to help your neighbors affected by the storm here.
Four tornadoes tracked by National Weather Service
The National Weather Service Nashville has confirmed that four tornadoes touched down in Middle Tennessee Saturday.
The two newest reported by NWS Tuesday were an EF-2 tornado in Dickson County's Cumberland Furnace, traveling 5.83 miles with a peak wind speed of 125 mph. The twister had a path width of 300 yards. One person was reported injured.
Crews also surveyed an EF-2 tornado in Robertson County's Springfield. The tornado traveled 3.5 miles at a peak speed of 120 mph with a path width of 300 yards. Four people were injured, according to the NWS.
Springfield city officials have said that the injuries were minor.
Another EF-2 tornado was reported in White Bluff and traveled 14.29 miles between Dickson and Cheatham Counties. The twister recorded a 125-mph peak wind speed and a path width of 500 yards.
The tornadoes join two others from Saturday - one from Madison that traveled into Hendersonville and another from Clarksville. Both of those storms were deadly.
Clarksville's tornado was the strongest, rating EF-3, with 150-mph peak wind speeds. It traveled 43 miles from Tennessee into Logan County, Kentucky.
The path width of the tornado reached 600 yards. It killed three people and injured 62, NWS reports.
Local, star chefs pull together to feed Tennessee
James Beard nominated chef Julio Hernandez took to Instagram Dec. 12 to announce that there would be no service at his tortilla shop the rest of the week. That’s because the chef and owner of Maiz de la Vida is joining forces with chef José Andrés' World Central Kitchen to bring hot food to the survivors of the Tennessee tornadoes.
Hernandez lives in hard-hit Gallatin, he said via text as he prepared to cook. Some of his employees live in Clarksville and Hendersonville, which also suffered extensive damage from the deadly storms.
“Thankfully everyone’s families are 100% safe, so we decided to help,” Hernandez said. “The team’s morale, it’s super high, and (we’re) proud right now!”
World Central Kitchen will use the tortilla shop, at 3101 Clarksville Pike, Ste 10, as a commissary kitchen, Hernandez explained.
“We are cooking comfort food all week,” he said. “Today steak fajitas, and the remainder of the week may be barbecue. Vendors are texting and offering donations. We will cook with what we get.”
The Maiz de la Vida food truck will operate during normal hours at Chopper Tiki Bar.
World Central Kitchen is also working alongside Big Al’s Deli in Salemtown, a longtime partner in Nashville, to provide hundreds of sandwiches in the hardest hit parts of the state, according to the World Central Kitchen’s site.
Andrés created World Central Kitchen in 2010 as a way to use his culinary knowledge to help feed Haitian citizens impacted by a devastating earthquake. The organization has since provided more than 300 million meals for communities around the world.
“We know that good food provides not only nourishment but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis,” reads a statement on WCK’s site.
Sumner County School close Tuesday
Sumner County Schools are closed Tuesday but are expected to reopen Wednesday, according to the district.
No schools sustained damaged from the Saturday storms that devastated much of Middle Tennessee. Power has been restored to all schools in the county, the district said.
Bus drivers will use caution Wednesday traveling through areas that are still impacted by cleanup efforts, and the district is asking for parents’ patience as traffic congestion through these areas may impact bus routes and pick up/ drop off times.
Several thousand remain without power
Several thousand Middle Tennesseans remain without power Tuesday following Saturday's deadly tornadoes that killed six.
In Nashville, 3,019 are without power as of 7 a.m. Monday, according to Nashville Electric Service.
A fiery explosion captured on video as a tornado tore through Madison, Tenn. showed the storm's direct impact on a Nashville Electric Service substation, the utility confirmed Monday.
There are 3,129 customers without power in Clarksville, according to the CDE Lightband.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville, Clarksville tornado latest: Thousands remain without power
