Tornado devastates downtown Nashville
A man walks by The Basement East, a live music venue destroyed by storms Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding buildings and killing multiple people. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
A tornado tore through downtown Nashville early Tuesday morning, killing at least 22 people and leaving severe damage across the historic district. Emergency services worked to clear the wreckage and recover survivors as the morning light revealed the state of the city, according to Emergency Management Spokeswoman Maggie Hannan.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said at a press conference Tuesday morning, “Last night was a reminder about how fragile life is.”
Multiple Lee students were affected by the storm. Many are receiving hour-by-hour updates from family members.
“My family is located in Brentwood, Tennessee, and my dad works at a restaurant called Marché in Nashville,” said sophomore psychology major Samantha Huber. “The restaurant’s windows were shattered, and the building had damage.”
Huber said she is continuing to pray for the families who are experiencing loss due to the tornadoes.
“My family is safe, and [there was] minimal damage to the house and property,” Huber said. “My initial reaction was to make sure my family was safe and the other people I know in Nashville. Then, I checked the news and prayed for the families of those who lost their life.”
According to AP News, one tornado carved a path from downtown Nashville along Interstate 40 to the city's eastern suburbs of Mt. Juliet, Lebanon and Hermitage.
Freshman education major Alexis Jones’ family lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Jones said her family narrowly avoided direct damage to their home. Although their city experienced significant damage, Jones said she is thankful for her family’s safety.
The Mt. Juliet Police Department tweeted, “Our community has been impacted significantly. There are multiple homes damaged and multiple injuries.”
Scattered rain and high winds followed the storm Tuesday morning. Emergency services are actively working to locate survivors and clear wrecked buildings.
Hands on Nashville (HON) is working with the City of Nashville and the Office of Emergency Management to place all available resources throughout the city and to rebuild damaged areas.
“To donate money to tornado recovery efforts, visit the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. To donate items — in particular gloves, trash bags, box cutters, bleach and personal hygiene items — drop off or mail to the Community Resource Center at 218 Omohundro Place, Nashville, TN 37210,” stated the HON website.
To donate via text, text RELIEF2020 to 41444.
