The mayor of Clarksville Monday told The Tennessee Star that his city is receiving help from the state and local levels after several deadly tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee over the weekend.
“The Governor and Mrs. Lee, along with TEMA were on the ground with us yesterday,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts (pictured above) told The Star Monday. “The White House reached out to me and offered any help we needed. So, yes, state and federal government have been helpful.”
Six people, including two children, are reportedly dead after the Saturday storms. More than 80 have been treated for injuries stemming from the tornadoes, which reached EF3 and EF2 intensity.
According to a statement from Montgomery County officials, Clarksville “has 65 structures that have minor damage, 339 with moderate damage, and 271 with major damage making them uninhabitable.”
Pitts told The Star that the city does not yet have an estimate on how much it will cost to repair the damage.
Lee visited the storm’s ground zero Sunday, and posted photos of that visit to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Though our state has weathered significant storm damage, Tennesseans are resilient,” Lee said on the platform. “Today, we’ve seen a picture of hope as state & local officials & nonprofits have provided critical support to families & communities across Middle TN.”
As we continue to pray for all impacted areas & assess storm damage, we encourage Tennesseans to find key resources about shelter, road closures & more below:@TennesseeEMA@myTDOT@TNCommerceInsur@TNHighwayPatrol pic.twitter.com/hySBtEmiPg
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) December 11, 2023
Lee directed Tennesseans to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TNDCI) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for further information.
TEMA offered the following guidance to residents impacted by the storms:
- Do not enter damaged buildings or hazardous locations.
- Hire only licensed contractors and do not pay the total amount before the work is complete. More tips for consumers after a disaster can be found here.
- Avoid downed power lines.
- If your house or property sustained damage, take pictures before cleanup efforts and contact your insurance company.
- Contact your local emergency management agency if you need immediate assistance.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
This is good news for those impacted.
Too bad the people in East Palestine have not gotten the same treatment following that horrific train derailment. Mr. Biden promised to visit East Palestine. I guess he will do that immediately following his visit to the southwest border. That translates NEVER!