Tornado Touches Down In Middle Tennessee Town Second Time In Two Years
All photos courtesy of Hip Mt. Juliet / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Mount Juliet Police confirmed yesterday that an EF-1 tornado, with winds at 105 MPH, touched down in Mount Juliet early Saturday morning. Part of a line of storms and catastrophic tornadoes that spanned four states, hitting Mayfield, Kentucky hardest where over 100 are feared dead, this hit marks the second time Mount Juliet has seen significant damage from a tornado in the last 21 months.
Early in the morning of March 3, 2020 an EF-3 tornado made its way through much of Middle Tennessee, with winds around 155-160 mph, devastating areas in Mount Juliet. Several neighborhoods were destroyed, nearby businesses suffered severe damage, three schools were hit, and one elderly couple lost their lives.
Fewer homes were damaged in the storm on Saturday morning and this time different neighborhoods were affected than in 2020.
Nearby Global Vision Bible Church, pastored by Greg Locke were faced with the loss of their large tent where all church services are held.
In a Facebook post, the church announced plans to go ahead with the service on Sunday in the open air. “The destruction of the storm was catastrophic. But we are celebrating the servants who came to help clean up today. We are celebrating moreover that the church is not a building or a tent. The gates of hell will not prevail. The church will gather in power as the revival continues under an open sky Sunday morning.”
Wilson County Emergency Services Rehab Association (Rehab 23) went to Willoughby Station on Saturday morning, the neighborhood with the largest amount of homes damaged. Rehab 23 is a mobile response unit stocked with equipment and supplies to serve as a public safety refuge for First Responders in Wilson County, TN who are on an incident scene for multiple hours. M.L. Rose sent a food truck to feed neighbors, volunteers and first responders.
Mount Juliet residents were quick to come to their neighbors aid as they did in 2020, helping clear downed trees and clean up debris.
Kim Langston, a Chandler Pointe resident, posted in Facebook group Hip Mt Juliet to thank those who came to volunteer.
“Overwhelmed, in shock and grateful to be alive, we are especially grateful for the neighbors we knew and didn’t know until yesterday and random strangers that came with chainsaws that saved our lives in a whole different way… your generosity is amazing and we can’t thank you enough. Media wants us to believe the [country is] getting so bad but nah, there is so much good and great people in this neighborhood and in this country. Thank you again so much.”
A reminder to Tennesseans wanting to help from Larry Crim – “First Responders are still searching for and rendering aid to victims. Utility crews are clearing debris to access roads and homes and reestablish power lines. As a result, EFR and public officials advise to stay clear to permit them to timely respond to these continuing emergencies.
Coordinate with organized disaster relief ministries and agencies in your efforts to deliver aid to your fellow Americans either through Volunteer Support and/or Contributions.”
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For those wishing to volunteer, Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc. (COCDRE) is a nationwide disaster aid delivery organization based in Nashville. Volunteer Support may be scheduled to assist in packing, shipping, loading of food, water, beverages, clothing and other resources which will go to disaster area churches in the impacted regions. Financial contributions may also be made. Go to the website at disasterreliefeffort.org or email your interest to info@disasterreliefeffort.org or call 615-833-0888.
Samaritan’s Purse sent disaster response teams on Saturday to Mayfield, Kentucky, and Monette, Arkansas, while other teams started to head to the devastation in Tennessee and Illinois. To sign up to be notified about Volunteer opportunities go to samaritanpurse.org or call 828-262-1980 or 800-428-1980
Lifepoint Church in Clarksville is participating in delivering direct aid to storm survivors where contributions and volunteers may be accepted. Call 931-920-5594 or email infor@lifepointchurch.tv or go to lifepointchurch.tv/relief
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
