Communities band together in aftermath of tornadoes
|
The destruction was extensive.
According to Emergency Management Agency director Percy Phifer, 71 homes and 10 businesses were damaged. A number of the homes were completely demolished.
Of the businesses, most of which were nurseries, several suffered extensive damage.
But according to Phifer, who was working in the Green Hill area Monday, one positive aspect is the outpouring of aid and assistance in the clean-up effort, which he says is proceeding with surprising speed, thanks to all the help.
?It?s been unbelievable,? Phifer said. ?We?ve got a lot of volunteers today and still have TDOT and the National Guard both here. Some of these guys are from the North Warren Fire Department, and there?s been a lot of the others, all the volunteer fire departments. We just can?t list them all. A group from Lincoln County, DeKalb County. A group from Clarksville public works. Nashville Metro sent a crew from their public works. I know I?m leaving some of them out, but it?s been great.?
Local businesses have been chipping in as well, like the McMinnville Lowe?s which donated 10 Poulan chain-saws to help with clearing fallen trees and debris.
National Guardsmen from Chattanooga, Tullahoma and Catoosa were working in the Green Hill area, most in support of the large equipment they brought to help in the clean-up.
According to Phifer, as of Monday, the effort is well under way.
?I think we?re about 75 percent complete right now,? Phifer said. ?And we?ve got 30 correctional people coming tomorrow, with guards, and they?re going to help us try to finish it up. So we hope to be through this week.?
County Executive Kenneth Rogers said Gov. Bredesen has given the OK to allow the jail inmates on private property, under guard, to aid in the final stages of clearing out debris.
Though much of the clean-up effort was concentrated in the northern part of the county Monday, residents were using chainsaws to cut up fallen trees in the Country Club area. Homeowners were able to do most of the repairs themselves.
There was virtually no activity in Morrison on rural Bonner Road where Sherry Bruce, 48, lost her life when her trailer was destroyed. Some family members stopped by after attending Bruce?s funeral Monday afternoon.
They said Bruce had just dropped one of her granddaughters off and was urged not to return to her trailer because of the tornado warnings. However Bruce was concerned about the safety of her dog and returned home anyway.
In a cruel twist of irony, the dog survived the tornado while Bruce was killed. Outside of Bruce?s trailer, which was completely ripped apart, it was difficult to tell a tornado had struck Bonner Road. Her father?s former house, located next door, and her sister?s home, located behind hers, didn?t appear to suffer any damage.
Currently, all of the debris is being transported to the Warren County Sanitation Department where it is being weighed as part of TEMA regulations, which requires records to be kept on the amount of debris gathered during the operation. Rogers said almost 500 tons had been collected as of Monday and he expects there will be an additional 200 tons by the end of the clean-up.
TEMA?s Jim Thacker says the agency will be working with the county in the coming weeks and months, along with FEMA, to provide help with the recovery process. Once a presidential disaster declaration is in place, Thacker says TEMA can offer a number of services, such as renter assistance and help with uninsured losses.
The Warren County Highway Department has also worked hard cleaning up the damage.