March 3, 2020 Nightmare by Fox Press

March 3, 2020

$10

HeraldCitizen Magazine Staff Publisher Jack McNeely jack.mcneely@herald-citizen.com

Editor & Graphic Designer Don Foy don.foy@herald-citizen.com

Managing Editor Lindsay McReynolds lindsay.mcreynolds@herald-citizen.com Editorial Staff Kate Cook Jim Herrin Paige Stanage Ben Wheeler Business Manager Sandy Malin

Contributors Vanessa Curry Randy Porter Ricky Shelton Eddie Farris The Associated Press National Weather Service The Tennessean Nashville Public Radio The Crossville Chronicle WVLT-TV, Knoxville

from the

Editor

In the newspaper business, tragedy is a way of life. We develop calluses on our emotions because of the disasters that strike our world. We don’t get hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes (other than little rumbles) or volcanic eruptions around here. But we do get tornadoes. Most of the time, we read about them in Oklahoma or Mississippi or Alabama. Occasionally in Tennessee. And it hurts a little to know that folks have had their lives upended, or ended, in seconds. Those calluses kick in and we go about our business. But when it hits home, like it did March 3, it hurts more than a little. It hurts a lot. By the time you read this, it will have been almost a month since the devastating EF-4 tornado tore through neighborhoods in western Cookeville in the middle of the night, killing 19, injuring 92, some critically, destroying 147 structures and damaging more than 500 others. For most of us, the hurt has eased a little, and we may have returned to what now passes as normal. But for some, it never will. The loss will last as long as they live. The purpose of this publication is to remember what happened in the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, and the hours and days following. We want to remember the 19 lives lost. We’re going to follow this up with the spring edition of 385 Magazine, which will focus on the volunteers and heroes who stepped up in the midst of chaos and tragedy.

March 3, 2020 Nightmare is a publication of the Herald-Citizen, a division of Cookeville Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written consent from the publisher. Cookeville Newspapers, Inc., is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents. Cookeville Newspapers is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes in information. The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher.

Don Foy, Editor

on the

Deanna Herald Speck and husband, Tony, of Cookeville, stand near what is left of her parents’ house in the Locust Grove community.

March 3, 2020

Cover

Jack McNeely

2 — NIGHTMARE

People Killed

People Injured

Businesses Destroyed

6,000 Volunteers in First Week

March 3, 2020

This is the Herald-Citizen’s compilation of our coverage of the tragic tornado that struck Cookeville and Putnam County in the early-morning hours March 3. It is a fundraiser for the relief effort. NIGHTMARE: March 3, 2020 features many of the photos captured and stories written since the tornado claimed 19 lives along Highway 70 on the western edge of Cookeville. “We wanted to chronicle the events by packaging our coverage into a product folks can hold onto for many years,” Publisher Jack McNeely said. There is no paid advertising in this magazine.

Businesses Damaged

700 Structures Damaged

147

Structures Destroyed “It’s important to all of us that we give something back to a community that we call home. It is hurting and will be hurting and recovering for years to come,” McNeely said. McNeely emphasized that 100 percent of the profit from the book sales will be donated to the Cookeville-Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund. Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton and Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the Cookeville-Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund was set up to ensure that donations would go directly to the victims and families affected by the destructive force of the EF-4 tornado March 3. NIGHTMARE — 3

Contents From the Mayors

The Victims

6 7

Message from Putnam County’s Randy Porter Message from Cookeville’s Ricky Shelton

Amanda Cole Hattie Jo Collins

Day-By-Day Wednesday, March 4

Jessica Clark

Thurs., March 5

Terry and Dawson Curtis Robert Dickson Stephanie Field and Harlan Marsh Josh, Erin and Sawyer Kimberlin Todd and Sue Koehler

Pages 8-9 Friday, March 6

Page 11

Patricia Lane

Wednesday, March 4

Bridgett Ann-Marie McCormick Leisha Rittenberry Keith and Cathy Selby Jamie Smith

Page 15

Editor’s Note: 10 days after being severely injured in the tornado, Robert Dickson died. While our day-by-day coverage does not reflect his death, he is included in our victim profiles.

Pages 18-19

Path of Destruction

The track of the tornado in western Cookeville

The President Visits

34-35

Vigil Community comes together 4 — NIGHTMARE

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 36

Trump surveys tornado damage President’s visit ‘exciting’ and ‘humbling’

38 42

Volunteers and Cleanup

From the Sheriff Message from Eddie Farris

CRMC

Volunteer response overwhelming Volunteers continue cleanup Hundreds stand in line to donate blood

44 47 49

Survivor Stories ‘We were blessed’ ‘It happened so quickly’ ‘It hit us dead center’

All hands on deck Patients not billed

54 55

Herald-Citizen Columns

50 51 52

Lindsay McReynolds Kate Cook Jim Herrin Paige Stanage March 8 Editorial

58 60 62 64 66

Herald-Citizen Staff: In front, from left, reporter/photographer Paige Stanage, Managing Editor Lindsay McReynolds, City Editor Kate Cook, reporter/photographer Ben Craven and Sports Editor Scott Wilson. In back, reporter/photographer Jim Herrin, News Editor Don Foy, Publisher Jack McNeely and reporter/photographer Ben Wheeler. NIGHTMARE —

True heart of community shows March 3, 2020 will forever live in the minds of so many people in Putnam County, including my own. What we woke to early that morning was unlike anything I’ve ever imagined could happen to my fellow citizens. It was our worst nightmare and greatest fear; it was devastating to many of our friends, family, and neighbors alike. As your County Mayor, I was heartbroken to hear of and see the massive damage and loss of life our community had suffered. With over 30 years experience in emergency services, all in Putnam County, I’ve spent a career preparing for and responding to all types of situations. We plan for the worst case scenario, thus we have planned and practiced for an event just like this, hoping it never would happen. But what I encountered in the dark of that morning was that unimaginable event. We knew lives had been lost, but we didn’t know how many. We knew some people miraculously survived and we were grateful. And we knew many would remain unaccounted for until the break of dawn. All we could do was hope for the best … and get to work. Our emergency first responders and law enforcement jumped into action as planned. Within minutes they were at the horrific scene taking care of the victims. What would happen over the next few hours and days would have been surprising, if not for the reputation we already had in Putnam County. Friends helped friends. Neighbors helped neighbors. Strangers helped strangers. Even victims helped other victims. Everybody helped everybody and it simply didn’t stop (and still hasn’t). The outpouring of support and generosity shown 6 — NIGHTMARE

to the victims of this disaster went above and beyond my highest expectations. While we are known as the Volunteer State, RANDY I’d submit to you there’s PORTER nowhere more volunteer strong than right here in Putnam County. Not only did an amazing number of you show up to personally volunteer your time to help the cause, but we were immediately showered in donated food and other necessities. In both cases, and this is a great “problem” to have, we even had too much in the very beginning. It’s going to take a lot of time and resources to rebuild our neighborhoods, homes and businesses that were damaged by the tornado. The needs of the victims will last long into the future. I trust our community will continue to look out for our brothers and sisters, even as time passes. Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton and I helped spearhead the development of the official charitable account for donations to this cause. The Cookeville-Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund now has over $1 million in its coffers and a committee has been established to oversee the distribution of those funds in a fair and equitable manner and only to the people affected by the storm. I am extremely thankful to all the people and organizations that have participated in the raising of this money - your efforts will directly benefit those who need it most. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all emergency first responders, law enforcement, road department personnel, and all our city and county

employees who responded and worked at the scene. Your tireless dedication and professional duty to help others was on full display and you made Putnam County proud! I am so thankful for the cooperation and teamwork shown between all agencies involved in both the initial emergency response and the cleanup that followed. It’s impressive what can be accomplished when people come together for a common goal. Finally, regardless of your politics, I am extremely thankful for the personal visit from President Donald Trump. He didn’t have to come to our county, let alone spend two hours on the ground talking to victims, surveying the scene and offering federal support. The aid we will receive from the U.S. government will go a long way toward helping in our recovery. Special thanks also to Gov. Bill Lee, First Lady Maria Lee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Congressman John Rose, State Senator Paul Bailey, Rep. Ryan Williams, Sheriff Eddie Farris, Mayor Shelton and all our other city and county officials for the support they each offered. Let’s continue to keep the victims of this terrible storm in our thoughts and prayers as they recover from their losses and please accept my humble thanks to everyone who helped ensure that our community was taken care of in the “Putnam County” way. The true heart of our community is its people and this disaster was a great reminder of how wonderful the people of Putnam County are. RANDY PORTER is mayor of Putnam County.

Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter, Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton, Putnam Sheriff Eddie Farris and EMA Director Tyler Smith held press conferences regularly to keep Putnam Countians informed after the tornado.

A tragic day, but we will rebuild March 3 was the saddest and most tragic day in Cookeville-Putnam history. The death, destruction and devastation that happened was unbelievable. An EF-4 tornado, with 175 mph winds killed 19 people, destroyed a 500-yard-wide, 8.2-mile-long path and forever changed our community. I, like many of you, experienced an almost unbearable emotional and mental hurt as my hometown and its people suffered so much. As I served in the Emergency Operations Center to help lead our response, the emotions were intense and changed constantly — from disbelief, to shock, urgency, intensity, anxiety and sadness. It was a great honor to work alongside our great professionals in the organized chaos that was the EOC. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter and I updated everyone with our briefings and press conferences in order to share as

much information as possible. So many heroes showed up that night to help. Heroes don’t wear capes, though; they wear uniforms RICKY SHELTON of police, fire, sheriff, THP, EMS, electric, public works, doctors, nurses, dispatchers and National Guard. They also wear regular clothes as neighbors helping neighbors. Through the sadness, tears and heartache came a great deal of hope. Our entire community, and people from all over the country, came together to help and heal our hurting area. Thousands of volunteers donated their time and energy. People donated food, clothing, supplies and money to help the survivors. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and President Donald Trump came to our city to lend their support. The unity has been amazing and

much needed. The best in people showed through as they helped, prayed, donated and loved. I want to thank each of you for the thousands of calls, texts, emails, cards, letters and direct messages that you sent to my family and our community. Your encouragement, prayers, support and kindness sustained us in this terrible tragedy. Please continue to keep me and all our officials, volunteers, and families in your prayers, as our community continues to recover. Please continue to pray — for families hurt, families that buried loved ones, families that lost everything, for our responders and for our hurting community. We are resilient and will rebuild, but we will always remember and honor those who were affected by this tragedy. RICKY SHELTON is mayor of Cookeville. NIGHTMARE —

Wednesday, March 4

Tornado hits Putna

Volunteers consult about cleanup at the Next Step Transition House on Highway 70.

8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NIGHTMARE

nam, death toll 18 BY LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS and KATE COOK HERALD-CITIZEN

The deadliest tornado in Putnam County’s history struck a quarter-mile-wide, two-mile long path of destruction along Highway 70 early Tuesday morning with little warning. Putnam County Fair Board President John Allen said it sounded like a train coming through his house just after 2 a.m. “The window in my living room blew in, the window in my computer room blew in,” Allen said. Allen, who lives on Highway 70 close to the Dipsy Doodle, in the middle of much of the tornado damage, said he grabbed his dog and ran to the bath tub. “Things started hitting the house,” he said. After daylight hit, Allen saw two-by-fours, a Titans t-shirt and a child’s flip flop among numerthe debris in his yard, in addition to numer ous emergency vehicles in front of his house. “It wiped out several houses,” Allen said of the tornado. “I’m a little shaken up, but I’m doing fine,” he said. Allen was fortunate to be among those who survived. Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris confirmed three dead before 7 a.m. Tuesday, but said that number was likely to rise. And it did. By the time Cookeville and Putnam officials gathered for a press conference at 11 a.m., 16 were confirmed dead. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said they had set up a special morgue asking fam family members to identify the deceased. The names of those who died were not released by press time, although the Her Herald-Citizen received unconfirmed reports of the identities of some of the victims.

19th victim dies Ten days after the tornado tore through western Cookeville, a 19th fatality was recorded. Robert Dickson, died Thursday, March 12, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dickson was well-liked IT employee at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Before 3 p.m., there were 17 confirmed deaths and 88 people treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. At a press conference Tuesday evening, Farris said there were 250 law enforcement officers from 15 different agencies involved in search and rescue that day. By Tuesday evening, officers had searched 60 percent of the structures that hadn’t been demolished in the tornado area. That’s nearly 150 structures, he said. Some 60 officers would continue the search overnight. Farris said the plan was for first responders to search a 20-acre field Wednesday. The field has high grass and is marshy and wet, which made it unsafe for rescuers to search overnight. Farris said he believes more debris and possibly victims will be found in the field. One person was arrested for looting, Farris said. A male suspect was arrested looking for prescription medication at an unnamed apartment building. The tornado area is under a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., he said. Those still looking for friends and relatives were asked to call 646-4636. At a press NIGHTMARE — 9

conference Tuesday evening, Porter said the line had received a lot of calls. “If it’s busy, keep calling,” he said. People wanting to help were asked to email helpnow@ putnamcountytn.gov. Between 800 and 1,000 people were without power Tuesday morning, according to Cookeville Electric Department Director Carl Haney. Just before 5, that number was whittled down to 250. “We hope to have another 100 on over the next couple of hours,” he said. Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation officials initially reported 10,000 without power. Power was restored to about half those by mid-morning Tuesday with no estimated time of repair for the remaining customers. City gas department director Jeff Mills said gas customers from Jackson Street to Double Springs will be without gas for the next few days. “We’re having to work between the other agencies,” he said. “We’re doing work on the outer edges. There’s infrastructure we have to repair. It’s a slow process.” Mills said if customers smell gas, call the gas department at 520-4427. “Other than that, we ask for their patience,” he said. “We’re still in recovery mode.” Volunteers who would like to help clean up are meeting at the old Hobby Lobby shopping center on South Jefferson at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service is expected to visit Putnam County Wednesday morning to make a determination about the rating for the intensity of the tornado. Putnam County Emergency Management Agency Director Tyler Smith said he expected it would be rated an F3 or F4. “This was a horrific day in Putnam County,” Porter said. At the evening press conference, Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton said officials are looking to set up a Cookeville/Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund, similar to the one county officials set up in Sevier County after the Gatlinburg wildfire. “Pray for our hurting community,” Shelton said. “There is only one Cookeville, we will get through this together.” The previous most deadly tornado to strike Putnam County was in 1974, when Putnam led the state with 11 deaths. That tornado was classified as an F4.

A steel girder is wrapped around a tree among the debris resulting from a tornado.

10 — NIGHTMARE

Thursday, March 5

Death toll remains 18, one still missing BY LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS | HERALD-CITIZEN The deadliest tornado in Putnam County’s history has been classified as an EF-4, according to Putnam Emergency Management Agency Director Tyler Smith. The EF scale measures tornadoes from 0 to 5 based on the

wind speed. A EF-0 has wind speeds ranging from 65 to 85 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. A tornado is classified as an EF-5 if it has wind speeds over 200 miles per hour.

The storm that killed 18 people in Putnam County and injured 88 others had wind speeds of 175 miles per hour based on a survey by the NWS Wednesday. One person is still missing: Leah Suzanne Weeks. NIGHTMARE — 11

Highway 70 toward Baxter was filled with rescue groups trying to assess the damage and search for victims of Tuesday’s tornado.

The skeletal remains of another person were discovered Wednesday in a wooded area near Miller Road, but the death is not believed to be storm related. Cookeville Police are investigating that death. “This is the first violent (and strongest) tornado in the NWS Nashville’s forecast area (38 counties in Middle Tennessee) since the Murfreesboro Good Friday Tornado on April 10, 2009,” according to the NWS. “There were EF-4s in 2015 in West Tennessee and 2011 in East Tennessee.” The path and width of the 12 — NIGHTMARE

tornado will be surveyed by NWS Thursday and Friday. At least 20 homes were destroyed to the foundation, according to Smith. Between 150 to 200 structures were damaged by the tornado. Sheriff Eddie Farris said a search of a 20- to 25-acre field in the tornado-damaged area is about 90 percent complete. He said they plan to complete that by noon Thursday. A curfew for the area affected by the tornado is in effect from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sheriff Farris said air traffic and drones are also restricted in

the area, a temporary restriction granted by the FAA, until 10 a.m. Friday. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter estimated that 2,500 people came to help with search and rescue efforts as well as cleanup Wednesday. “We can never voice the words for our gratitude and appreciation,” he said. Porter asked that volunteers stay away from the tornado-damaged area Thursday while power companies are stretching cable lines. About 2,000 people in the Putnam area still don’t have power,

Porter said. “The power companies are working 24/7 around the clock,” he said. Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton said Cookeville Electric Department still had about 150 customers without power. “That’ll be down to 75 within two hours,” he said. Rachel McCormick and her daughter, Ella, were sorting through the remains of clothing and personal items that belong to Rachel’s sister-in-law, Tracy Savage, in what was left of Savage’s home on Herald Court in the Westhaven subdivision off High-

way 70. Savage’s house was leveled. Not even one wall was left standing. Rachel and her daughter were pulling out the salvageable clothes and shoes from the concrete pad of what used to be the garage while Savage’s daughter, Deja, stood still in the middle of the wreckage. “It’s weird seeing the stuff they just wore to church,” McCormick said. One of the items they were looking for Wednesday was Savage’s youngest daughter’s piggy bank. “My mom is dead set on finding

it,” McCormick said of the piggy bank. “She’d saved $300. To a 13-year-old, that’s her life savings.” The Savages’ family cat was found alive under some debris, and the dog was taken to the animal shelter, where they were able to reclaim him. McCormick said Tracy was injured but has already been discharged from the hospital. Her two daughters weren’t home at the time the tornado struck. But she didn’t think their neighbors had survived. “Her (Tracy’s) boyfriend woke her up, and they made it to the bathroom before the house came NIGHTMARE — 13

Police cars block the intersection of Highway 70, West Jackson Street and Pippin Road, where the traffic signals were blown away by the tornado.

down,” McCormick said. Bob Miller was one of 30 volunteers that came in two 14-passenger vans with First Baptist Church to Herald Court. “We’ve been in search mode,” Miller said. “We’ve found a lot of personal items, marriage certificates.” Aspen Lafever, Hayley Herrin and Tyler Buck were among Tennessee Tech students who responded to an email from President Phil Oldham requesting that students volunteer while campus was closed Wednesday. Lafever said her friend, Bayley Gaw, lived with his parents and siblings in a house that was also demolished near the Savages. “He called me at 3:30 in the morning (Tuesday),” Lafever said. “They came outside. It was eerie quiet except for people screaming.” 14 — NIGHTMARE

Lafever, Herrin and Buck met in the old Hobby Lobby parking lot with hundreds of others wanting to volunteer to help law enforcement with search and recovery efforts as well as cleanup. “You see how much people are helping,” Lafever said. “We’re the volunteer state for a reason.” “I feel fortunate to help, to have the time to do this,” Lafever continued. “Yesterday, I didn’t know what to do. I donated blood.” On the stretch of Highway 70 where the tornado was most destructive, rescue squads from neighboring counties, insurance company cars, fire department trucks lined the street. Cookeville Police Officer Marc deClaire said he, along with the rest of the CPD police force, have been working since the tornado struck. “I came in on my day off yester-

day and worked until six,” Officer deClaire said. “There’s no such thing as you getting a day off for now.” Officers are covering patrol as well as storm-related work such as operating checkpoints to control who comes and goes from the heaviest hit areas. “We’re not allowing just anybody to come through,” Officer deClaire said. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn toured the area with Sheriff Eddie Farris Wednesday morning. “It’s just devastation that is heartbreaking,” she said. “It’s hard to imagine.” “I’ve seen some tornado damage, Katrina, hurricanes,” Sen. Blackburn said. “What I’m seeing here is maybe the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen war zones. It’s hard to put in words how emotional it is for the community.”

Friday, March 6

Death toll remains 18; everyone accounted for BY LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS HERALD-CITIZEN

No more fatalities have been reported, and no more people are missing following Tuesday’s early morning tornado in Putnam County. “There were no other victims discovered, no other deaths,” Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said during a press conference Thursday night. “The death toll remains at 18 as it was yesterday.” Those injured in the tornado remains at 88 as well. “As far as we know, patients treated are still alive,” Porter said. “We don’t know their status.” Porter said over 400 residents suffered some type of damage from the tornado, which was classified as an F4 by the National Weather Service, and 31 commercial properties suffered damage. “Nearly 100 residences were completely destroyed,” Porter said. Twenty people remained in the Red Cross Shelter at First Baptist Church in Cookeville Thursday night. Others displaced by the tornado are staying with friends, relatives and in hotels. Cookeville Electric Depart-

Electricity distribution systems were hard hit in the tornado. NIGHTMARE — 15

Crews began rescue efforts early Tuesday, searching for injured residents.

ment had about 25 customers still without power as of Thursday evening, and about 1,300 Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation customers were also lacking power. Sheriff Eddie Farris said search and rescue efforts turned into recovery Thursday, and the curfew for the tornado-damaged area along Highway 70 between Cookeville and Baxter remains in effect from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Temporary flight restrictions over the area are in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday. The sheriff said 42 firearms 16 — NIGHTMARE

have been found in the area. HighSheriff Farris said that High way 70 will likely be closed to through-traffic until the middle of next week. “We have power companies working,” he said. “It’s a safety issue. Then dump trucks, heavy equipment, a lot of pickups. When we initially arrived, there were so many flat tires on emergency vehicles, we had to ask maintenance to come out and change tires. There’s a lot of things we have to do before we open the road back up.” U.S. representatives and sena-

tors from Tennessee asked President Donald Trump for federal disaster assistance for Tennessee counties devastated by tornadoes this week. After Thursday’s press conference, the President declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Tennessee and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in Davidson, Putnam and Wilson counties. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance Friday by

registering online at http://www. callDisasterAssistance.gov or by call ing 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-4627585 for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. The president is expected to arrive in Nashville Friday morning. Porter said they’re working on a plan for volunteers who want to help Saturday. Officials are asking volunteers to stay away from the tornado-damaged area Friday while power continues to be restored there.

Cookeville Vice Mayor Laurin Wheaton said the council held a moment of silence for a city employee killed in the tornado — Jessica Clark — during the Thursday council meeting, as well as others impacted by the storms. “The city has a number of employees who lost everything,” she said. Porter said the hours at the county landfill on Cookeville Boatdock Road and the transfer station on South Jefferson Avenue will be expanded to seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5

p.m. for people wanting to bring debris. A Cookeville Putnam County Tornado Relief Fund has already collected $125,000 for victims in less than 24 hours. Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton said people can donate at 19 Bank of Putnam County locations, through Venmo, PayPal, by texting cookevillehelp to 41444 or at putnamcountytn.gov. This weekend’s home and garden show presented by the Home Builders Association of the Upper Cumberland has been postponed until Oct. 16-17. NIGHTMARE — 17

Sunday, March 6

John Lacko is a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran who lived in an apartment just off Locust Grove Road.

18 •3-3-20•NIGHTMARE

It could have been worse BY LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS | HERALD-CITIZEN The early morning tornado that killed 18 people, injured 88 and devastated parts of Putnam County has been called “Terrible Tuesday” by the county’s emergency management agency director, but it could have been worse. “The one that hit Putnam County went all the way almost to Bob’s Body Shop,” Putnam EMA Director Tyler Smith said Saturday. But another tornado formed and essentially helped weaken the more devastating EF-4. “If that hadn’t formed, it would

have hit Tech and the hospital,” Smith said. “We’re very lucky.” Officials are still investigating how many people heard the sirens and warnings that prompted many to take cover, in several cases seconds before their homes were destroyed. Michael McCord, who lives on Charlton Square, said he did hear the alarm sound on his phone, which prompted him, his wife, Kayla, and their two children to get to the basement before the tornado crushed their garage doors in.

He said their home isn’t livable now, but it is repairable. They’ve been staying with friends and family. “We’re fine, but the south end of our neighborhood was obliterated,” he said. McCord is already working with a structural engineer and a contractor to repair their home. “It’s a temporary inconvenience, but we’ll be whole again here soon,” McCord said. “In the grand scheme of things, we were very, very fortunate,” he said.

NIGHTMARE — 19

Nearly 200 structures were destroyed by the tornado.

Melahn Finley at Cookeville Regional Medical Center said two people injured in Tuesday’s tornado were still in the hospital Saturday evening. She said those who were transferred to other hospitals were alive and in stable condition also as of Saturday night. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said during a press briefing Friday that over 500 structures 20 — NIGHTMARE

sustained damage in the tornado. He said 32 of the structures are commercial, 120 homes were totally destroyed and 80 have major damage. “Insurance companies are working the area,” he said. Porter said the landfill on Cookeville Boatdock Road and county transfer station on South Jefferson Avenue will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a

week until further notice. Residents and business owners who sustained losses should begin applying for assistance as soon as possible by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance. gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired. The tollfree telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

The Victims

Jessica Clark BY BEN WHEELER HERALD-CITIZEN

“I had no idea the day we recruited her to the fair board, what was in store for us,” Putnam County Fair Board President John Allen said of Jessica Rector Clark. Clark, 31, passed away during the outbreak of tornadoes that destroyed hundreds of structures and ultimately took 19 lives in Putnam County. She worked for the City of Cookeville and as the secretary of the Putnam County Fair Board. Allen said she was the hardest working person he had ever seen. “She would take charge and do things that the men had never been able to do. She never took no for an answer,” Allen said. “She was a wonder.” Clark is survived by her husband, Michael Clark, mother and father, Nancy Gentry Rector and Jackie Rector, and brother, Levi Rector. “I know I would’ve wanted many more years, but I was blessed that I was her mom. I’m truly lost without her,” Nancy Rector said. “We’re taking it minute by minute.” Clark’s mother described her as a go-getter, always working hard at whatever activity she involved herself in. Whether it was Mary Kay, the Putnam County Fair or crocheting, Rector said Jessica always gave it 100 percent. Rector found a piece of a crochet that Jessica had begun to work on; now her mother plans on gently cleaning it and framing it. At the end of March, Clark would have celebrated her seventh year anniversary with the City of Cookeville. She had been hired as 22 — NIGHTMARE

a front desk receptionist and was recently promoted to an account tech position with the City Clerk’s Office. “Jessica was one of a kind. She was driven to succeed, always motivated and ready to do whatever needed to be done. Jessica loved to give me a hard time and I will greatly miss our banter,” Cookeville City Administrator James Mills said. “She was extremely loyal and protective, no one got past her desk to see me without her approval. She was taken from us way too soon but we thank God for the blessing of being part of her life.” Clark’s funeral was held Sunday, March 8, at First Cumberland

Presbyterian Church in Cookeville. Reverend Christian Smith presided over the funeral, remembering Clark as a young woman who always got things done. “Every Wednesday night, she would like to request for us to do something at the fair. She had been after me to do prayer at the fair but I told her I’m only going to do it if I get to do the demolition derby,” Rev. Smith said at Clark’s funeral. “Here’s the problem, demolition derby’s on Sunday night. I got church on Sunday nights.” “It’s my understanding that the demolition derby is going to be on Saturday night this year. She was so excited. I can’t wait for that night to be there.”

Amanda Cole

WVLT — People in Tennessee work to pick up the pieces after tornadoes devastated the middle and western parts of the state March 3. At least 25 people were killed statewide, and many more were injured. One of the hardest hit areas was Putnam County, where 19 people died, including some children. The neighborhood near McBroom Chapel Road sustained some of the worst damage in Putnam County. Two of the people who lost their lives were Amanda Cole and sixyear-old Dawson Curtis. Amanda’s family said she was Dawson’s nanny. Crews found Amanda’s body next to Dawson’s. Family

said she died trying to protect him. Amanda was the family’s nanny for four years and cared deeply for Dawson. Her family said she cared for many different children both professionally and through her church, but her Uncle Mark Farley said Dawson was special to her. “If you saw her, you’d see Dawson,” said Farley. On holidays, Amanda would attend his family’s functions and then bring Dawson to theirs. Farley said their family was devastated after not only losing Amanda but also Dawson. They said he was a part of the family, too. Amanda’s mother,

Phyllis, said he called her “grandma.” “Little Dawson, that was a special one,” said Farley. Phyllis said Amanda left this world doing what she did best, loving and caring for children. Dawson’s dad, Terry Curtis, also lost his life on Tuesday morning. Terry’s brother Richard Curtis told WVLT his brother’s wife and other son were severely injured and are at a nearby hospital together. The family is asking for help making funeral arrangements. You can visit any First National Bank location and ask for the “Amanda Cole Memorial Fund” if you’d like to help. NIGHTMARE — 23

Hattie Jo Collins Hattie Jo Collins was the four-year-old daughter of Matt and Macy Collins. Matt posted this on Facebook the weekend after the tornado. Ever since she was born, Hattie has loved being held. In 4.5 years, she has slept with Macy and I nearly every single night — close. She wants to feel you. Early on Tuesday morning March 3, Hattie had wound up in our bed once again. She was asleep between Macy and I when Macy’s phone went off alerting us of a tornado warning in Putnam County. She immediately woke me up, where I quickly turned the TV on. Dan Thomas from Channel 4 was on, and his first words I heard alerted those around Upperman High School to take cover. We immediately grabbed Hattie out of the bed and begin running as fast as possible towards Lainey’s room to grab her out of the crib. Macy grabbed Lainey, I had Hattie, and we hit the floor. The sound around us was unlike anything I have ever heard. Deafening silence. As soon as we hit the ground with the girls, the tornado hit. Everything was collapsing and going up around us. I was yelling as loud as I could. I don’t remember what I said or even if what I said were words at all, but my yells were pleas for my girls to hang on. The four of us were relocated by the storm to somewhere around our front porch, we think. We were in the dirt, in the crawl space, but together. The following are memories I do not have. Macy and I both blacked out around this time, and have no memory until we woke up across the street at a house that was still standing. The rest of this story is filled with God’s people, many at Collegeside, who came to our aid. Kory and Lauren Farmer are our neighbors. Their house was also lost in the storm, but they were able to escape. Soon after the storm passed, Kory could hear my screams. He had a light and was able to locate the four of us. Macy was holding Lainey. I was holding Hattie. We had never let go. Kory took the girls from our arms because he could see all 4 of us were injured. More neighbors, Luke and Amy Carty, had been able to escape and get to Luke’s truck. Luke and Amy had Jill Mynatt and her family in

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the truck with them. Kory handed Hattie to Jill and Lainey to Amy. My girls never touched the ground. Luke drove hoping to make it to the McBroom Chapel church building but couldn’t. He was able to make it to Amy Jennings house, where some of the truck was unloaded. Amy took care of Lainey, getting her out of wet clothes and keeping her warm. When an ambulance was able to locate the group, Jill held Lainey and checked her into the hospital. Luke was holding Hattie. She had already passed. Luke held her though. Hattie loves to be held. My girls never touched the ground. Luke turned her over to the professionals when they arrived on the scene to go help more people. There is no doubt the Hensley neighborhood saved each other that night. Back at our location, Kory, (and others I cannot remember), broke a door down to make a stretcher for Macy. They got her to a vehicle and to the hospital. I was helped to the car of Brandon Pruitt who drove me to the hospital. Every interaction we had that night was with God’s people. The church

saved our life. I’m confident there are more names that I could have added that I do not remember. We are living with the tension of devastation and love. Words do not do justice for how we feel for Hattie. The pain is unbearable at times, and present all the time. We have also been overwhelmed with love and support from all over. We thank you for your prayers — we have seen God this week in the lives of so many. God worked through his people Tuesday morning — Kory, Lauren, Luke, Amy, Jill and others — and we were recipients of their love. Every night before bed, Macy would read Hattie a story. Monday night, after they finished reading, Hattie looked up at Macy as she often does after story time. Hattie would rather talk than sleep. She told her, “Mommy, I can see Jesus and he is wearing all white.” Hattie could see more clearly than the rest of us. Before we knew Jesus was going to hold her that night, she did. We do not believe the Lord took our girl from us. We believe he is holding our girl for us. And Hattie loves to be held.

Terry and Dawson Curtis BY PAIGE STANAGE HERALD-CITIZEN

Terry Curtis, 54, was a big teddy bear, and Dawson Curtis, 6, was the most loving boy. That’s what their family and friends are saying about them. Terry and Dawson both lost their lives in the tornado Tuesday, March 3. “It still doesn’t seem real,” said their friend, Parrish Burgess. “I wish I could have Dawson run up to me and say, ‘I just wanna hug, I just wanna hug!’” Burgess remembers Dawson’s kindness. “We miss you Dawson Drake Mizuno Curtis,” she said. “You were the most loving boy. Watch over your Mama (Jennifer Curtis), she needs so much strength right now. I still wish I could wake up and this all be just a dream.” Burgess and the Curtis Family were best friends. “Terry was an amazing father, husband, friend and business owner,” she said. “He loved his wife, Jennifer, and his family fiercely. He was the greatest friend Josh and I could have ever asked for. He was helpful. “He was big, and some deemed him scary. But he was the biggest teddy bear. He was loving. He was so humble. He was a great role model. He was one call or text away anytime anyone needed him.” Dawson was a rambunctious boy. “Dawson was only 6 years old,” she said. “He was mean as a snake, but sweet as could be. He loved my daughter, Lainey. He loved my son, Easton. He loved

Terry and Jennifer Curtis, back, pose with their sons for an official family portrait. From left, the boys are Dawson, Justen and Easton.

everyone. He especially loved his ManMan, and boy did we love him, too.” Jennifer Curtis, Terry’s wife and Dawson’s mother, is still recovering from injuries sustained in the tornado at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Their son, Easton, came home from Erlanger Hospital Saturday,

March 7. Their other children, Josh, Justen, and Jessica weren’t harmed during the tornado. The Curtis family’s home was a total loss. A GoFundMe has been set up for the Curtis family. It can be found by Google searching, “Curtis Family Benefit.” NIGHTMARE — 25

Robert Dickson

From left, daughter, Haley; Robert Dickson; and wife, Susan.

The 19th victim of the tornado that struck Putnam County March 3 was Robert Dickson. Dickson, who lived on Herald Court with his wife, Susan, was initially one of the 92 people injured by the tornado. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died nine days later, March 12. Dickson, 68, was an applications analyst in the information systems department at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where he had worked for 20 years. 26 — NIGHTMARE

“He always had a smile on his face,” CRMC director of public relations Melahn Finley said. “He worked closely with physicians. He was well-liked, well-known.” Dickson’s friend, Dr. John Averitt, said, “We are all devastated. Everybody there knew him. He was always willing to help somebody if they needed it.” Robert’s wife, Susan Dickson, works in the imaging department at CRMC. They have three daughters, Haley, Dawne Dickson-Davis and

Stefanie Dickson Adkins. Dickson served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He worked as an LPN at Bristol Medical Center before moving to Cookeville in 2000. He was also a member of Washington Avenue Baptist Church. “Robert was a godly man with a happy and friendly nature,” according to an obituary published in the Herald-Citizen. “He was kind, generous and always looking for ways to help others. He was an avid gun collector and enjoyed working in his yard.”

Stephanie Field and Harlan Marsh

BY MIKE MOSER CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE

Genesis Road, for the family of Stephanie Field and her son, Harlan Marsh, turned into a byway of sadness and sorrow as two hearses made their way from the funeral home to their final resting place. Always together, mom and her 5-year-old son left this world together in the dark hours of Tuesday morning when an EF-4 tornado ripped through their home in Echo Valley on the western outskirts of Cookeville. Field, 36, graduated from Cumberland County High School and then moved to Cookeville, graduating from Tennessee Technological University, earning a business

management degree. She was employed by SunTrust Bank in the call center. Field purchased a duplex and, along with her son, was asleep when the tornado fed by winds of up to 180 mph ripped the dwelling from its foundation. Harlan Marsh was a student attending pre-K classes at Cane Creek Elementary School. Their home landed on its roof and the bodies of the mom and son were found about 150 yards from the home. At least 25 people died as a result of the super cell tornado in Tennessee March 3. Cookeville recorded at least 18 fatalities. More than 100 homes were destroyed in Putnam County and over 400 were damaged. Field was the daughter of Jerry

Field and Patricia Flowers Field. She is also survived by her her brother, Matthew Field; and sister, Brandi Flowers Myhr. Harlan was the son of Stephanie Field and Thomas D. Marsh of the Lebanon area. “Stephanie was probably the best mother anybody could have,” Marsh told The Tennessean newspaper in an interview last week. “Harlan was a beautiful spirit. Altogether, he was just an angel.” Funeral services for the two were held Sunday at Bilbrey Funeral Home with burial in the Slate Springs Cemetery just off Genesis Road in Crossville. A GoFundMe page was created Thursday to help offset funeral costs. As of Friday, nearly $3,500 of a $5,000 goal had been met. NIGHTMARE — 27

Joshua, Erin and Sawyer Kimberlin BY PAIGE STANAGE HERALD-CITIZEN

The Kimberlin Family is still remembered for each of their little quirks by those who loved them most. Heath Phillips said he met Josh, 30, and Erin, 29, Kimberlin about five years ago. “When my wife, Macy, and I first started dating, she had been attending Colonial Heights (Church of Christ) for a little while and I had just started visiting,” Phillips said. “We coveted a relationship with Josh and Erin. Thankful, it wasn’t too long before they asked us for our first double date.” The pairs became inseparable after that date. “We regularly recounted that night together,” Phillips said. “The main thing we always remembered was the eruption of laughter that came from Josh and Erin when I revealed to them of my irrational fear and hatred of cotton balls. To this day, I have no idea how that topic came up, but that was the exact moment we linked to the start of our friendship.” Phillips remembers Erin’s laugh. “Her laugh and smile was so infectious,” he said. “And she laughed so much around her brothers.” Josh had a “unique way about him,” Phillips said. “He was so respectable, so devout and passionate for the Lord and for winning souls to Christ,” Phillips said. “All while being such a goofball at the same time. He cared so deeply, was so patient and loving. He lived his life on a mission. He was always pushing 28 — NIGHTMARE

himself to be a better Christian, and his eagerness pushed those around him to be better, too.” All those positive qualities both Josh and Erin possessed were magnified with the birth of their baby boy, Sawyer. Phillips said that Sawyer, 2, loved to sing from his songbook. He had his own pitch pipe, pulpit and microphone he would sing from at the church. “That two-year-old bundle of joy was the life of every party and was the center of attention, and he loved every minute of it,” Phillips said. “Especially if you were singing with him.” Sawyer loved his lovies, singing, each of his grandparents, and had a bit of obsession with the moon, Phillips said. “I’m not sure that there was

a single moment that passed by where Sawyer wasn’t acutely aware of the moon’s exact location,” said Phillips. “It would be daylight outside and there he was standing at the window pointing, eyes fixed upward, and his eyes marveling at the moon. “It meant something special when I saw that in Sawyer. Many of you probably know, but Josh and Erin were not the PDA (public display of affection) type of couple. They loved each other hard but they kept a lot of that in private. But Josh and Erin had a phrase that they used frequently... ‘To the moon and back.’ This was all over their wedding and all over the walls of their house. The moon was a special thing for them, and Sawyer shared that love too.”

Todd and Sue Koehler BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN

A legacy of loving, of having fun, of working hard will perhaps be what Sue Strong-Koehler and her husband, Todd, will be remembered for. The Walmart store in Algood, where Sue was the manager, posted on Facebook, “Miss Sue may be gone, but she will never be forgotten. She instilled her legacy in all of us at 5175. She was always hard working, dedicated, motivating, and caring.” The town of Algood added, “she always had a smile and was ready to help us anytime we asked.” Eric Collins of Double Springs Church of Christ said the stories of Sue’s work ethic were memorable. “A buddy of mine works at Walmart, and he said when Sue was helping out at their store one time, he said he didn’t know what happened in that place because he actually had to work,” Collins recalled. “So she was a hard worker, but she was so well-loved.” Collins described a woman who was loved by family, friends, co-workers and customers. “I was talking to a lady from church and she said, ‘I know her. That is the lady the other day at Walmart, when I couldn’t find something, who was so patient and nice to me and went out of her way when she probably had more important things to do.’” The couple’s marriage on Sept. 16, 2017, served as an example of their abiding love. “When he met her, he called me up and said I finally found the woman I’m going to spend the

rest of my life with. And he did,” said Greg “Bones” Hensley. “They went out together. That’s the way the good Lord intended it.” Todd’s sister, Trisha Gorman, added, “Todd worked so long to have a relationship and marriage with her and embraced her.” Todd was employed at Integral Automations for 22 years and Metcom Company for 13 years. According to his obituary, although Todd did not have any children, “he loved each of his nieces and nephews as his own.” “He enjoyed the outdoors while hiking, biking, repelling, hunting, boating and fishing on Center Hill Lake, in addition to photographing all of God’s creation

while he enjoyed it.” It was noted that in his spare time, Todd was passionate about time spent with guy friends nicknamed Bones, Dingleberry, Thrasher, Rat and Cobble while they listened to rock music, cooked/barbecued (and) restored vintage automobiles. Todd was also passionate about his collection of firearms and teaching others how to respect them. His obituary reads, “Although everything Todd worked so hard at obtaining in material form was destroyed, we know that Todd’s true love and happiness was found within his heart and also in the love he shared with his best friend and wife Sue.” NIGHTMARE — 29

Patricia Lane BY SERGIO MARTINEZ-BELTRAN NASHVILLE PUBLIC RADIO

Patricia Lane was never afraid of speaking her heart and her mind. She lived at her apartment for over 20 years, so she was well respected and that gave her a pass to call people out. Like when she told her neighbor he needed to clean his apartment. Or when she told others they needed to park straighter. But she also brought gifts to her neighbors’ kids for Christmas and their birthdays. That honesty, along with her kindness, will now be missed by Lane’s friends and family members. The 67-year-old woman died in her apartment after multiple tornadoes touched down in Middle Tennessee last week. “She just really, really poured everything that she had into her friends and her family,” Traci Delk, Lane’s daughter, said. That was evident during Lane’s funeral service on Tuesday, when over 60 people gathered at the Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home in Cookeville to remember her. “I had no idea the number of people that loved her and the number of people who touched her life,” Delk said. Lane worked at Red Kap. But, when the company closed, she decided to retire. She then spent most of her life helping at the Collegeside Church of Christ food pantry in Cookeville. That’s where she met Jona30 — NIGHTMARE

than Norris, a ministry leader. “I saw Jesus in Pat,” Norris said. “She was always there for you if you needed it.” Norris said Lane often prayed for others, was always reaching out to churchgoers to make sure they were doing all right. And when Norris’ brother died last year, Lane was the first one to reach out and send a card. “That’s what I’d love people

to know about her,” Norris said. “She exemplified the name of Jesus in her actions.” A couple of years ago, Lane decided she wanted to get baptized. She ended up doing it at her church. When a tornado destroyed Lane’s apartment last week, many things got lost. But Norris said her baptism certificate was recovered.

Bridgett Ann-Marie McCormick BY PAIGE STANAGE HERALD-CITIZEN

None of Bridgett McCormick’s family and friends can stop talking about her light. Bridgett McCormick was a 13-year-old Upperman Middle School student who perished in the tornado March 3. Sycamore Pulpit Minister Steve Reeder agreed with Bridgett’s brother, Ethan, who described her as a “mess.” “You may not know what that means if you’re not from around here,” Reeder said. “But if you are, then you’ll understand exactly what’s being said.” A “mess” is oftentimes a southern word used to describe a quantity, Reeder said. “It’s something that’s good, but the amount is not really describable,” he said. “When that word is used to describe a person, you know it’s always used as a term of endearment. “In a person, it is not a quantity. It’s a quality that you really can’t describe but you know it when you see it. It’s someone who’s curious, questioning, and always into something. It usually describes someone who frustrates you to no end, but at the same time enriches your life in ways you could never imagine. And they do it without even trying. It’s not something anyone intends to be, but it’s a quality that is natural and wonderful. Bridgett was a mess.” Bridgett’s friends from Youth Horizons remember her personality. They often describe it as light, bubbly and happy, no matter what. “Bridgett, you have changed my

life,” said friend, Miranda Smith. “You have made me want to be happy and show a smile to everyone and be the light in people’s lives.” Another friend, Libby Daughrity, also spoke of Bridgett’s kindness and outgoing personailty. “She was a light to everyone she

saw,” Daughrity said. “Her presence was well-known when she entered a room. “She had no problem to go and talk to anyone about anything. Her love for life and people were amazing. She will be missed. She already is missed. She was, and is, so loved.” NIGHTMARE — 31

Leisha Rittenberry

BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN

“She never knew a stranger.” That’s how friends and family describe Leisha Rittenberry. “”She was just one of those people you immediately were drawn to,” said her friend, Wendy, in an interview with The Tennessean. “If you were sitting in the room, your eyes would get drawn to her.” Her aunt, Levonne Macomson added, “She brightened the lives 32 — NIGHTMARE

of those she met.” The 2011 Monterey High School graduate spent her early years in South Carolina before moving to Putnam County. After graduation, she worked at Bojangles and later at Speedway in both Cookeville and Lebanon. Friends say she was loved by anyone who met her. “Liz had a huge heart and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need,” her obituary reads. “(She) loved listening to music,

making videos on TikTok, singing karaoke and spending time with her friends and family.” “Leisha was a wonderful, caring young lady who loved her friends, family, job, and especially her fiance,” said her mother, Melissa. “She would do anything for anyone just to make them smile. She was simply amazing and is going to be missed by so many. “She was my daughter and my best friend.”

Keith and Cathy Selby BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN

“Two peas in a pod.” That’s how Lamar Redmond described his sister and brotherin-law, Keith and Cathy Selby, as friends and family gathered Wednesday for their funeral service. The Selbys were among 19 Putnam County residents killed in last week’s tornado. “My sister couldn’t have found a better husband to marry,” Redmond said. “He spoiled her to the point that I told him once, ‘Keith, I don’t think I can put up with her now.’ Folks, that’s love. That’s love.” Redmond said it’s “the little things” he’s going to miss, including the daily conversations he had with Keith that inevitably began with “What’re you doin’?” or the admonitions from Cathy that it was his turn to help with the mowing. He said the couple always wanted to be together. “We’d go on a camping trip, and they’d be holding hands like they had just gotten married,” he said. “Jesus Christ and the cross equals love. Keith and Cathy Selby equal love.” The service included a performance of “Where Could I Go (But To The Lord)” by the Redmond family members, as well as five other songs. “I guess you know by now we are people who enjoy music and songs,” Redmond said. “That happens a lot in my family. At family gatherings, we come together and there isn’t a time I can remember that we didn’t play music. Cathy and Keith enjoyed that music.”

Bro. Harold Walker of Union Grove Free Will Baptist Church shared that he and Cathy enjoyed aggravating each other. “One Sunday morning when they came to church, Sister Cathy barely could talk above a whisper, and I looked at Brother Keith and said boy, your prayers have been answered,” he recalled. “Well, Sunday night, that voice was loud and clear, and I looked at her and

said it looks like your prayers have been answered.” Praying, and an abiding faith in salvation and their eternal place in heaven were hallmarks of the Selbys’ lives, Walker said. “That Sunday night was the last time I got to hug her this side of eternity,” he said. “But I’m encouraged by the fact that they’re not gone forever. I’m going to see them again.” NIGHTMARE — 33

Plunk Whitson Road

Charlton Square

Hensley Dr.

Clemmons Road

State Hwy. 291

Track of EF-4 Tornado Track of EF-3 Tornado Track of EF-2 Tornado 34 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NIGHTMARE

N. McBroom C

McBroom Chapel Road

Denotes residence of person killed in tornado

This is a composite image of NOAA weather satellite photos of the damage inflicted by the tornado that struck western

Co ho tra rep

Broom Chapel Road

Highway 70 Echo Valley Market

South Dr.

Herald Court UCEMC

Locust Grove Road

Tennessee Blvd.

Cookeville in the early morning hours of March 3. The general track of the tornadoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path is represented by the line across

the image. The line is color coded to be red where National Weather Service officials say it was an EF-4, orange where it

was EF-3 and yellow where it was an EF-2. Each red dot marks the address of a person killed in the disaster.

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Jamie Smith BY NATALIE NEYSA ALUND THE TENNESSEAN

A devoted mother and business owner, Jamie Loff Smith had a zest for life and was always looking to help others. The 36-year-old woman’s life of generosity ended tragically during the early morning hours of March 3, when a tornado tore through the two-story home she owned in the West Haven subdivision of Cookeville. “She was a very loving, energetic, happy woman who always had a smile on her face,” said her sister-in-law, Kristy Loff, of Freehold Township, New Jersey. “She always helped people. She always went above and beyond with everyone.” Smith lived with her eight-yearold son, Logan. Family said the boy was staying with his father in another home across town when the storm hit and was spared the deadly impact of the 165 mph winds that ripped through Putnam County. “They were the best of friends,” Loff, 38, said Monday. “He was her life. Her light. He’s a good boy, and she spoiled him rotten.” At the time of her death, Smith owned an office cleaning company, Dependable Cleaning Service. “She was a kind person, and everyone she encountered loved her,” said her 39-year-old brother, Joseph Loff, of Freehold Township, New Jersey. Fifteen years ago, she moved to Sparta, Tennessee, where her parents, Kenneth and Marleen Loff, retired. Shortly after, she purchased her Herald Court home in Cookeville. 36 — NIGHTMARE

Smith’s hobbies included baking, crafting and shopping. She loved animals, Loff said, and had three of her own when the tornado struck: Max, a gray tabby cat; Gabby, a 5-year-old brown Labrador; and Louie, a 12-year-old black Labrador who died in the storm. Neighbors found Max and Gabby safe roaming the street after the storm passed. Smith’s son and his father, 40-year-old Russ Smith, were on the northern part of town the morning the tornado hit, about seven miles away at another family member’s home. “Luckily Logan was with his father,” said Bob Lane, Logan’s 67-year-old grandfather. “It saved his life. ... Ain’t no doubt about it. It’s a bad deal. Jamie was a good girl. I thought of her like my daughter.”

Lane, an electrical inspector for the state and former battalion chief for the Putnam County Volunteer Fire Department, said that the morning the tornado touched down, he jumped in his truck at his home on Canada Flatt Road and sped 12 miles to Smith’s home. For eight hours he sifted frantically through rubble. “I saw her bedroom furniture ... her silver jewelry and a jewelry box she’d had in her bedroom. Then I saw the box spring.” Beneath it was a mattress. He found her underneath without a pulse. Lane said there was some peace knowing how she died. “She was sound asleep,” he said. “She never knew what hit her.” Supporters have created an online fundraiser at GoFundme.com to support her son.

The Victims

Anissa Spicer prays at the candlelight vigil at the Putnam County Courthouse Square.

Community comes together BY PAIGE STANAGE | HERALD-CITIZEN Those in the Putnam County community gathered at the courthouse square Tuesday night to cope with the aftermath of the deadliest tornado in the county’s history. “There’s no sense in coming up with other words to describe today,” Pastor Alex Lisic said at the candlelight vigil. “It was devastating. I had friends and family members who called from outside of Cookeville who asked how we were doing and how things were and how was the day. The only phrase I could come up with was that it was

truly devastating. “But in the midst of our grief and pain, I believe there’s always hope to be found,” he said. “You can always find hope today. I saw hope in the faces of our police officers, fire departments, our EMS and first responders who worked tirelessly to try and prevent the loss of life here in our community. I saw hope in the faces of our medical staff who worked to try and make sure people were okay. I saw hope in the faces of volunteers in this city. Here, tonight there is hope.”

Collegeside Church of Christ Elder Roger Colglazier also spoke about the devastation at a community prayer service at the church Tuesday night. “Coming out tonight to be with us means a lot to the people hurting and suffering,” Colglazier said. “Loss is a part of life, but so is hope. And out of loss comes hope... and times like this really show the good in our hearts that’s shown from our first responders and our neighbors. “We were made for good works.” NIGHTMARE — 37

President Trump Visits

Trump surveys tornado damage By DARLENE SUPERVILLE ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Donald Trump on Friday toured a neighborhood reduced to rubble by a tornado earlier this week and marveled at “the tremendous heart” he witnessed. He also offered a message for survivors and those who lost family members: “We love them, they’re special people,” he said. Trump assumed the role of national consoler as he traveled to Tennessee. Trump surveyed devastated communities in Putnam County, where a tornado tore a 2-mile-long path, killing 18 people, including five children under 13. Many more people were injured, some critically. Statewide, the death toll stood at 24 from a pair of storms. Trump was met upon his arrival by Tennessee

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee, center, speaks with residents Matt and Angela Suggs as they tour damage from the March 3 tornado in Cookeville.

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‘Tremendo

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ous Heart’

Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and other top officials. “It’s been a painful, tragic week for our state,” Lee said after surveying with Trump a street where eight people were killed. The street was filled with debris where houses once stood. Limbs were crudely snapped from trees. A white laundry basket, chairs from a dining table, cinder blocks and a step ladder dotted the landscape. Trump then met with survivors and volunteers at a local church filled with boxes of emergency supplies, pallets of water and tables filled with clothes. “When you have those who lost somebody, that’s a very tough situation,” Trump said during the nearly 40-minute stop. “We are with you all the way.” He posed for pictures and shook hands with people before speaking to emergency personnel. “Nobody’s seen what you had to go through,” Trump said. Such trips have become familiar for the president, who has visited numerous scenes of disaster and tragedy after hurricanes, mass shootings and wildfires during the past three years. The Republican president won the heavily GOP state by 26 percentage points in the 2016 election, and trounced Democrat Hillary Clinton in Putnam County by a margin of more than 2-to-1. Davidson County, the other Tennessee region devastated by tornadoes, is a Democratic enclave in the reliably Republican red state.

President Donald Trump speaks with Mike Herrick, of the Cookeville Police Department, as he surveys damage from a tornado in Cookeville. NIGHTMARE —

President Donald Trump speaks, accompanied by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., right, and first responders, including Cookeville Fire Department Chief Daryl Blair, left, at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ, a distribution point for relief supplies after damage from a tornado in Cookeville.

‘Exciting’ and ‘humbling’ President visits with first responders, volunteers at relief center BY JIM HERRIN | HERALD-CITIZEN “It was interesting, it was exciting, and it was humbling.” That’s how Rick Gilbert, disaster relief coordinator at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ, described a visit to the church’s distribution center Friday by President Donald Trump. “I was personally blessed because, being in charge I guess, I was to walk along with him, talk to him and answer any questions 42 — NIGHTMARE

he had,” Gilbert said. “It made me extremely proud that he would come here and see what we’re doing for our loved ones here in Putnam County.” Gilbert described the president as “extremely, extremely cordial,” noting that he was interested in how donations were being organized and distributed. Trump also took time to interact with a crowd of more than a

hundred gathered behind tables in the church gymnasium. “I’m thinking that he spent probably a good 15 to 20 minutes or more, shaking hands and posing for pictures,” Gilbert said. “He emphasized that (he was) here to help and support us in any way possible.” Gilbert said Trump “had nothing but praise” for the community’s efforts.

“I told him that Putnam County is blessed with a lot of love that God’s given to all of us,” Gilbert said. “That’s why we’re here, and you, sir, are going to really boost this.” He said “a lot of people” had made suggestions about what he should say to the president. “But the main thing was to keep on doing what you’re doing,” he said. “He said ‘I will and you all make sure you keep doing what you’re doing.’ I said we will.” Gilbert was also eager to make sure that credit for what is happening was not focused solely on him. “You cannot give enough credit to the people that responded to this,” he said. “Everybody has pulled together. That’s our spirit, and it doesn’t come from anywhere but God. Like Colossians 3:17 says, whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus for the Glory of God. That’s what this is all about.”

Above, Scottie Stroud, center left, and Audrey Birdwell pose for a selfie with President Donald Trump as he visited the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Center at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ Friday. Below, President Trump speaks with coordinator Rick Gilbert as he looks at supplies at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ, a distribution point for relief supplies after a tornado in Cookeville.

NIGHTMARE —

Volunteers

They don’t call Tennessee the V Volunteer response overwhelms organizers BY JIM HERRIN HERALD-CITIZEN

An overwhelming tragedy generated an overwhelming response as volunteers from across the region and country gathered Wednesday in the Towne Plaza parking lot to offer their help to victims of a deadly tornado that swept through Putnam County Tuesday. Some came with excavating equipment. Some came with chainsaws, and several offered their expertise in search and rescue operations. “Look at the crowd around you. We’re not going to be able to put this many people in the disaster area,” said Jack Duncan, volunteer resources manager for the Putnam County

Volunteers fill the parking lot of Towne Plaza shopping center March 4, waiting to offer their assistance to tornado victims.

44 — NIGHTMARE

e Volunteer state for nothing

NIGHTMARE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Jack Duncan, volunteer resources manager for the Putnam County EMA, meets with search and rescue leaders.

Emergency Management Agency. “This will be going on for probably two weeks, so if you feel like you need to depart for the day and come back on another day, your contribution will be just as important as anybody that works today.” Duncan and others spent the morning hours getting people signed up and directing them to the areas they would be most needed, sending some to a staging area along Tennessee Avenue, others to Cane Creek Elementary School and still others to buses that transported crews to the disaster sites. “I knew it would be a big turnout, but I didn’t expect this,” said Ken Hall of the Monterey Lions 46 — NIGHTMARE

Club, who has organized several disaster relief efforts through the years. “The confusion for me is the logistics, but I’m sure that it’s a surprise to them, too.” “We have had a tremendous turnout today, and it’s amazing the support we are getting from the community — not just Cookeville residents, but those that live nearby,” said organizer Don Sowers. “We’ve also had people travel from long distances to help out, and it’s wonderful that they’ve been able to do that in this heartbreaking situation.” Duncan offered a special caution to search and rescue volunteers. “There are still people unaccounted for. You may find some disturbing things,” he said. “If

you’re not ready for that (in your heart) and (in your head), don’t go on this team.” As the teams began dispersing to their final destinations, Duncan estimated that well over a thousand volunteers had shown up, which was probably more than was needed. “If we have too many people, you come to a gridlock in the area,” he said. “You’re not able to maneuver to do the job and not able to get other critical equipment in and out. “It’s always this way in a disaster area on the first day or two. In the coming days, people will return to help, and it’ll be a smaller number with a better plan.”

Volunteer David Cargile, 53, of Tullahoma, dismantles the large limbs of a fallen maple tree.

Volunteers continue cleanup BY JIM HERRIN | HERALD-CITIZEN Four days after a devastating tornado struck Putnam County, hundreds of volunteers continued to show up Saturday to offer help with the cleanup, this time gathering at a reception center established at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. Jan Arnson came in from Atlanta. “We got in town (Friday) afternoon, knowing that we couldn’t start anything until this morning,” he said. “We work for an organization called Inspiritus, which is a Christian-based disas-

ter response group.” Arnson said he used to do business in Cookeville, so he was familiar with the area. “We knew this was an area that there was going to be more need, so we as a group said we want to come and help,” he said. “We’re here for this weekend, but we will return (as needed).” Arnson coordinated with Kevin Burgess, a Crossville resident with family ties in Cookeville. He said the tornado missed his grandmother’s house by “less than a quarter mile.”

“I am doing longterm disaster relief for Hurricane Michael in south Georgia with Inspiritus,” Burgess said. “But when my boss heard about the tornadoes in Cookeville, she said if you want to go, you can go, and that’s how we ended up here.” Burgess coordinated with Jack Duncan, the volunteer supervisor with the Putnam County EMA, adding that Inspiritus comes in simply asking “how can we help?” “When I heard from Jack that we need no more volunteers, but what we need are (team) leadNIGHTMARE — 47

Volunteers sort items recovered from the debris left by the tornado.

ers, I put out to our constituents ‘don’t come yet.’ We want to be here for the longterm,” he said. “But this group of five team leaders came, and it was the exact number they were looking for, so I believe there was a divine intervention there as well.” Arnson served as team leader for a chainsaw crew that also included volunteers from Averitt Express and other companies 48 — NIGHTMARE

who dispatched employees to assist. If you are interested in volunteering, you can register online through the putnamcountytn. gov page. You can also call 646INFO to volunteer if you are unable to register online, or you can volunteer through an approved Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) group, like Samaritan’s Purse or Team

Rubicon. Age restrictions vary by group. “Please understand that the cleanup and recovery process will be a long process, and there will not be room for all volunteers to work at one time,” officials wrote in a post on the county’s website. “We understand and appreciate, all efforts to support our community, and we want to ensure everyone has a chance to help.”

People line up to donate blood at Blood Assurance’s bloodmobile set up at Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s front entrance.

Hundreds stand in line to donate blood BY BEN WHEELER | HERALD-CITIZEN Blood Assurance’s office on Broad Street was crowded Tuesday with people looking to donate blood that is in critical need. Employment agency workers made their way as a business to Blood Assurance to donate. “You’ve got to help and pitch in. That’s what we’re here for,” Dawn Hillebrand said. “Our entire group from Express Employment are all going to come and give their help.”

Crowds made their way to multiple places in Cookeville to donate blood for those in need. “We just knew that in a crisis situation, with what we’ve heard in the news about the fatalities, not everyone has access to certain treatments that they’re going to need. There’ve been critical injuries and we want to help in anyway that we can,” Deanna Dowling said. Blood Assurance had represen-

tatives at Cookeville Regional Medical Center for donations as well. Donations appointments can be made through the Blood Assurance app which can help speed up wait times. At one point Tuesday afternoon, there was a four-hour wait to donate blood. Officials encouraged folks who couldn’t donate Tuesday to donate Wednesday. NIGHTMARE — 49

Survivor Stories

Matt Mifflin stands in the rubble of what used to be his house on McBroom Chapel Road.

‘We were blessed’ BY JACK MCNEELY | HERALD-CITIZEN Matt and Katherine Mifflin of 3841 McBroom Chapel Road are fortunate to be alive. “I don’t call it luck, we were blessed,” the 27-year-old chemist and Tennessee Tech grad said Wednesday. “Yes, we were blessed.” The two were asleep in bed when their weather radio went off for the first time shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday. “We got up and did our prep, put the cars in the garage and placed our inflatable bed in the hallway,” Matt explained. “Then the radio went off again at 1:50. No, 1:54 a.m., that’s the time that I remember. It sounded 50 — NIGHTMARE

like a big truck was driving down the gravel road, but it kept getting louder. “I felt the floor raise up, then the house started to tumble. I’ve had that moment in my head all day,” continued Matt, who held back tears. “Sorry.” The two held each other and said, “I love you.” Their two-yearold German Shepherd mix was crated nearby. Matt said it seemed to last forever as they bounced off walls, but it actually lasted “probably eight seconds,” he said. In those few seconds, their quaint, 960-square-foot house was diminished to piles of rubble

about 35 feet from its foundation. Matt and others returned Wednesday to make sense of the disaster they survived while several others within a few hundred feet had not. While Matt is recovering from mental scars, Katherine is pretty banged up and resting, he noted. Their four-legged companion survived as well. As of Wednesday evening, the killer tornado that barreled through the McBroom Chapel area and several other residential neighborhoods along Highway 70 just west of Cookeville had claimed 18 lives.

‘It happened so quickly’ BY VANESSA CURRY Masses of soggy insulation appeared all over the inside of Emily Hendrixson’s two-bedroom home. It splattered on the walls, her new sectional couch, the kitchen counters, and her 3-year-old son’s bedroom. Bits and pieces clung to her shoes as she moved room to room searching for anything she could salvage. The stuff even coated her car parked outside amid broken boards, crumpled pieces of siding and twisted limbs. “It happened so quickly,” Hendrixson said as she surveyed what was left of her West Broad Street home after a Tuesday morning tornado tore through parts of Putnam County. Hendrixson and her son, Kellan, moved into the home Feb. 1. She works a full-time job and also takes classes at Tennessee Tech. She and her boyfriend, Bryce Watts, had stayed up late watching TV, but were asleep when a frightened Kellen woke them up. The heavy rainstorm scared him, she said. “We heard something brushing up against the window and then in a matter of seconds glass just shattered in every room,” she said. She looked up and realized the roof was gone. “It was horrible,” Watts said. “It was the loudest thing I had ever heard.” It didn’t take long before the couple said they heard their neighbors calling out for them. In the cold, wet dark of night that scrambled across the street into the safety of that neighbor’s home. At daylight, they began cleaning up, loading hangers of clothing and other items into the trunk. Watts’ sister and her boyfriend came to help. “I just don’t what’s going to happen now,” Hendrixson said. Emily Hendrixson takes a break from salvaging items from a Cookeville home. NIGHTMARE —

Ted McWilliams, with his friends and family, assesses the damage at his what little is left of his house on Clemmons Road.

‘It hit us dead center’ BY JIM HERRIN | HERALD-CITIZEN “It hit us dead center. It wiped our house out and several houses in line with ours.” That’s what Ted McWilliams said as he surveyed damage to his neighborhood on Clemmons Road Tuesday afternoon. As it happens, McWilliams, an admissions counselor at Tennessee Tech, was in Chattanooga on university business when the tornado struck his home. “My wife, Terri, and the kids were at home, and I think we both got the tornado alert,” he said. “About two minutes after that, she called in a panic, saying they were downstairs, and the house had collapsed around them.” 52 — NIGHTMARE

McWilliams said his brother-inlaw came to check on the family and helped them out of the rubble. His middle son had injured his knee jumping from the top of the stairs as the walls collapsed around him, but everyone else was OK. “Everybody’s safe, but this whole area has been wiped clean,” he said. “We had built an addition onto the house with a basement under it, and if we hadn’t had that basement, they might not be here today.” McWilliams got home from Chattanooga about 4 a.m., and says the family is staying with his mother for the time being while they “figure out exactly where

we’re going to go.” In addition to his house, McWilliams lost four outbuildings and some five acres of trees that are “either gone or are going to have to be taken down.” “There are two trailers that I don’t know where they came from that are on the property now,” he said. “Plus, boats and lots and lots of debris.” Still, despite the property loss, McWilliams was thankful his family was spared what others are facing today. “The most precious things are safe and sound,” he said. “Now, we’re just going through the rubble.”

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R, Tennessee) walks with Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris as they survey damage from the March 3 Tornado in western Cookeville.

Sheriff grateful for all who helped In the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, a tragic event took place in Putnam County, by way of an F4 deadly tornado. The devastation that resulted from this incident caused heartache, sorrow, and panic along with many other words I can’t even begin to write. When this tragic event occurred, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office was immediately front and center and on stage to our county, state, and the rest of the country. The tornado entered the Baxter/Cookeville, Tennessee area at 1:49-1:57 a.m. The first 911 call came in at 2:04 a.m. Units immediately responded to the

Tennessee Avenue and State Road 56 area. I called all available deputies and personnel immediately. Without concern EDDIE for their safety, they FARRIS began pulling victims from debris, treating wounded/rendering first aid, securing the scene, initiating area canvas checks to identify missing individuals and finally, the grisly task of recovering those who had perished. Command staff straightaway initiated incident command system and set up a command post at Mid-South Machine &

Supply on Hwy 70. I quickly ordered all available personnel and assets (Humvee, 4x4 trucks, trailers, generators, lights, etc.) to be deployed to the area. These resources played a vital role in our search, rescue and command and control of one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit our County. More than 20 agencies came to assist the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office in all duties related to this incident. These agencies sent not only supplies but personnel as well to aid our community. I am grateful to all that assisted. EDDIE FARRIS is Putnam County Sheriff. NIGHTMARE —

Overcoming obstacles Despite communications problems, sheer number of patients, CRMC endures BY KATE COOK | HERALD-CITIZEN Early in the morning of Tuesday, March 3, was just like any other at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Emergency Department Director Angel Troxell, RN, said staff had gone off shift at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. The hospital 54 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NIGHTMARE

was full, though, with 20 patients being held in the ED, waiting for beds upstairs. Then the tornado hit Cookeville and a 12-hour sprint began. Just after the tornado hit, CRMC Safety Coordinator Mike

Hellman called Chief Operations Officer Scott Williams to suggest they call a Code Yellow, closing the hospital to anything other than the incident. Williams agreed. Williams said those 20 patients

awaiting rooms were moved into the hallway. Thanks to the storm, they couldn’t make long-distance calls from CRMC’s landlines and cell service was spotty which meant hospital staff couldn’t call in more doctors, nurses and support staff. But they came anyway.

“Those that didn’t have cell service just started driving,” Troxell said. “It was very reassuring to us. We were like ‘we can’t get anyone’ but then the cavalry arrived. “I will tell you the entire team in this hospital rallied together and loved everyone through it all, just such an incredible sight to

see,” Troxell said. “We had anesthesiologists, hospitalists, pediatricians, private physicians, heart surgeons. We had our cardiac interventionist outside triaging. He used to be a paramedic and he did a great job triaging.” Patients were being treated in all kinds of places, not just the NIGHTMARE — 55

Troxell

Williams

Colaric

Lethi

Hellman

ED. Cots were set up in the obstetrician overflow, the discharge center, and the east entrance. Patients were triaged outside if they could. Ambulances began to roll in, empty at first. They were sent empty to be on hand for transfers. Every county in the Upper Cumberland and the wider region sent at least one ambulance, Troxell said. 56 — NIGHTMARE

“The EMS has been phenomenal,” she said. “We knew how tired they (EMS) were, how worried they were and they came to us to make sure we had the capability to take care of patients.” Vanderbilt LifeFlight has a base in Cookeville, but the weather was too bad for them to fly, so the crews came to help, Williams said. ED Medical Director Dr. Ken Colaric said the response was

what got everyone through. “There was an OB-GYN in the east entrance sewing up a facial laceration,” he said. “Everyone just showed up and said ‘What can i do to help?’ There were no egos.” The ED served 90 patients in the first three hours, 25 were admitted, 50 were treated and released, 14 were transferred to trauma centers and one passed away.

“You look at the high acuity, the severity of the injuries, and if they could make it to the ED, we took care of them,” Colaric said. Troxell was communicating with area EMS and trauma centers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Erlanger in Chattanooga and University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Troxell knew some patients would need to be transferred, but it was too stormy to fly a helicopter, Interstate 40 to Nashville was closed and the storm had moved toward Knoxville. The decision was made to send patients by ambulance to Erlanger. Troxell said in the middle of it, Vanderbilt called to see how they were doing. They wound up sending four ambulances down 70 with the director of LifeFlight to auto-accept transfers on the spot, she said. “Erlanger and UT auto-accepted anything we sent,” she said. While the medical staff were

healing wounds, nonclinical staff were doing everything they could. “It didn’t matter what the role of the individual was, everyone was focused on what we need to do to take care of the patients,” said Chief Nursing Officer Scott Lethi. “We had people from the business office in the patient family room taking care of families, we had maintenance people on the roof in the pouring rain getting the air conditioning back on,” Williams said. By the morning, CRMC’s dietary staff had come in and began making sausage and bacon biscuits to feed the staff. After the sun rose, Blood Assurance’s bloodmobile pulled up in the hospital’s front parking lot. Within an hour, there were lines of people waiting to donate blood. “We tried to end it at 9 p.m.,” Lethi said. “But we had people saying they had been in line for 6 hours they weren’t leaving.”

Also, deliveries from nearly every pizza place in town brought fresh pies for the hospital staff. That was swiftly followed by food from churches, Tennessee Tech, and individuals. “It’s things like that that make you realize this is why we’re here, this is why we do what we do, because it’s terrible and awful and humbling and it’s amazing and it’s such a privilege for us to be able to do it,” Troxell said. Troxell, Colaric, Williams, Lethi and Hellman said CRMC was able to respond so well because of training and the relationships they’ve formed with area agencies. Williams said they regularly hold drills, but that this disaster was more than anticipated. “To see almost 100 patients in that time frame was staggering on any trauma level,” Troxell said. Williams said CRMC will be offering counseling to its staff in the coming weeks and months.

CRMC not billing tornado patients BY KATE COOK | HERALD-CITIZEN The 82 patients with tornado-related injuries won’t receive a bill from Cookeville Regional Medical Center. CRMC Chief Financial Officer Steve Ramey said the hospital will bill the patients’ insurance, but they’ll write off the patient portion of the cost. “We’re going to bill the insurance and accept the insurance payment as payment in full,” Ramey said. “None of the patients will get a bill from us.” Chief Operating Officer Scott Williams said if one of those 82

patients receives a CRMC bill, they just have to notify the hospital’s business office, and it’ll be removed. CRMC’s emergency department has agreed to do the same. “For those 82 identified patients, we will bill the impacted patient’s insurance company, and we will accept that as payment in full,” John Rutledge, CEO of American Physician Partners, said. “We will not bill patients for the physician component of their visit.” This only affects the 82 torna-

do patients and the services they received at the hospital, Ramey said. They may receive bills for the ambulance ride, independent physicians or from other hospitals if they were transferred, but they won’t receive any CRMC bills. “We’re trying to contact all those hospitals to let them know how we’re handling it,” Ramey said. “We don’t know what they’ll do, but this is what we’re doing.” “We’re encouraging all those providers to do something in kind,” Williams said. NIGHTMARE — 57

Reporting on most deadly tornado in Putnam history LINDSAY McREYNOLDS

n 2004, then-Herald-Citizen managing editor Charles Denning asked me to revisit the stories surrounding the deadly tornadoes that struck Putnam County in 1974 in memory of the 30th anniversary of

the storms.

Hearing and reporting the horrifying stories of those who lost friends and relatives in that storm when Putnam County led the state with 11 deaths didn’t even begin to prepare me for what I saw when I woke up Tuesday morning. My house was a few hundred feet from where a tornado cut a quarter-mile-wide, two-mile long path of destruction along Highway 70. I heard the sirens from inside my house just before 2 a.m. But instead of getting up and heading to the basement, I went back to sleep. The sunrise a few hours later revealed insulation from other homes stuck on my roof and in the bushes outside my house and several text messages from friends and neighbors asking if I was okay. We were fortunate that the only real damage we seemed to have was the power being out. Down the street however, my neighbors weren’t so lucky. Just before 7 a.m., Putnam Sheriff Eddie Farris told me three were confirmed dead, but he feared there would be more. By 11 a.m., 16 had been con58 — NIGHTMARE

firmed dead, and another 65 people were reportedly being treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. The more severely injured were airlifted or transported by ground ambulance to other hospitals. Just before 3 p.m., 17 confirmed dead and 88 people treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Friends began calling and texting about the people they knew and loved that had died. I recognized some of the names. I felt shell-shocked. After a press conference at the county’s emergency services building, the sheriff allowed me and several other media to walk down Highway 70 Tuesday afternoon as the Tennessee Valley Authority and Cookeville Electric crews worked to restore power and Cookeville Police officers directed traffic in place of the missing signal at Jackson Street. Power poles were snapped and grounded. Cars were smashed. Power lines laid on the ground, and electric workers warned us that the area was unsafe. Property owners like Dave

and Diane Roland were out on four-wheelers cleaning up what was left of their Next Step Transitional House for women. None of the women sleeping in the house were injured. The house manager woke the ladies and escorted them downstairs before the roof blew off the home. A few hundred yards west on Highway 70, others weren’t as fortunate. Putnam County Emergency Management Agency Director Tyler Smith said bodies of the deceased were found in the road. In my 41 years on this earth, I’ve never reported any tragedy as deadly as this one. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said during Tuesday’s press conference that we will recover from this. Prayer services for the lives lost were scheduled for last night and tonight. Clean up groups are meeting at 8 a.m. today in the old Hobby Lobby parking lot on South Jefferson. A line of people wrapped around the Blood Assurance donation center on Broad Street in response to the urgent need for blood. People from other places asked for ways to help. I’m in awe of the emergency responders, police, firefighters, hospital personnel and the volunteers who worked nonstop to take care of the injured and the deceased. LINDSAY MCREYNOLDS is managing editor of the Herald-Citizen. Her email address is lindsay.mcreynolds@herald-citizen.com.

President Donald Trump flies over the devastation on Hensley Drive in Marine One. NIGHTMARE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Take care of yourself, each other don’t think there’s anyone in Putnam County that has had a good week. Even those folks that didn’t sufKATE fer damage or loss from COOK Tuesday’s tornado, have been bleeding from the trauma to the community. In the last 15 years or so, the general public has become more sensitive to the fact that handling tragedy is very difficult for folks in the safety and healthcare industry. It’s traumatic to help sick and wounded, emotionally painful to find and care for the recently deceased. Reporters aren’t immune to that. By the nature of our jobs, we see people in extreme situations. Normally, when you see one of us, it’s either the best day of your life or the worst. Unfortunately, news isn’t usually good and we see folks suffering more often than not. Folks don’t think about reporters emotionally bleeding right alongside emergency services and the families of the injured. Part of that is our fault as an industry. In journalism classes, we learn about presenting a professional front, so we don’t fall to pieces and cry when we’re interviewing those who have survived a tragedy. More frequently than not, we internalize the damage and deal with it privately later. 60 — NIGHTMARE

Each reporter has horror stories and the longer you’ve been in the business, the more they stack up. We didn’t experience the horror of the event, but we’ve relived it countless times, through interviewing, editing, page design, distribution and social media. And we signed up for that, many of us knowing exactly what we were walking into. I covered my first tragedy when I was an intern, my third day on the job. I could barely be considered a reporter. The details of the situation aren’t important today, but suffice it to say, I still sometimes have nightmares about that day. I sometimes still hear the sobs of the emergency services and see the aftermath. That night, I cried in the newsroom, deep, hollow sobs. My editor, Kevin, told me I’d get an A for my internship, I didn’t have to come back if I didn’t want to. He suggested I drink two shots of whiskey and get a good night’s sleep and then decide if I wanted to come back. Encouraging drink-

ing isn’t a good idea, and I wouldn’t recommend that. At the time, and even now, I interpret that as Kevin’s way of saying “take care of yourself and make the decision when you’re in a better place.” In that, he was right. I’ve employed different methods over the years, but caring for yourself is a big important thing, reporter or not. Do what you can, don’t do anything you can’t. Know that it’s OK to feel the way you’re feeling, and take joy in the little things. And above all, reach out for help if you need it. It’s a hard job, but there’s a lot of community value in recording history, as we’ve done this week. We’ve brought you information as fast as we could, trying to speed the flow of help and information to those who need it. Our reporters and editors have taken photos to chronicle the tragedy, spoken to grieving families and public officials, and answered hundreds of questions. When folks couldn’t get through on the county’s information line, they called us and we helped as best we could. We’ve worked long hours, and lost sleep over what we’ve seen and heard. And we’ve been deeply honored to fill that role. Now, we’re eager to take the next step and chronicle our community’s rebuild. KATE COOK is city editor of the Herald-Citizen. Her email address is kate.cook@herald-citizen.com.

Downed power lines and tran

s and transformers give way to a background of rubble.

Above, CHS students Micah Kincaid and Kate Anderson brought food and bottled water to volunteers at Herald Court. At left: electricity crews work to untagle and repair wires which were tangled by the tornadoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high winds.n NIGHTMARE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Big boys don’t cry

“I

’ve seen Mom cry, but I’ve never seen Daddy cry.” That’s what my youngest JIM HERRIN said a few years ago when we were having a family discussion about how Moms and Dads handle emotions differently. Dads, I explained, or at least this Dad, very often feel the same strong emotions in times of tragedy as Moms do. But we try to “be strong” and “keep it together,” fighting off the sometimes overwhelming urge to weep, reasoning (perhaps unwisely) that we cannot help others if we are a babbling, bawling mess. Part of my job this week was to wait with anxious family members as they gathered at Church on the Hill to face the grim task of positively identifying a loved one killed by the tornado that hit the county. I have to say that I came perilously close to bawling. “I don’t want to be here,” I told more than one person, torn between the obligation to tell the stories of those affected by the tragedy and the desire to leave people alone in their time of grief. I could not help but admire the stoicism many showed in 62 — NIGHTMARE

al grief. My voice never cracked as I announced details over the radio on that terrible event. Candlelight vigils, for some reason, have always affected me greatly, but I’ve been able to cover several of them through the years with a professional detachment. I’m not sure I would have been able to do so last Tuesday night when vigils were held at the courthouse and the Collegeside the face of unimaginable church of Christ, but, horror. thankfully, I didn’t have to When I returned to the find out as that assignment office to begin writing went to my associate, Paige stories, I found my voice Stanage. unexpectedly cracking as I I must add here that attempted to have conver- I am proud of the work sations with my colleagues. that everyone at the HerThe tears I had successful- ald-Citizen has done this ly squelched while on the week, even if pride seems scene began bubbling to an out of place emotion in the surface. I found myself the midst of tragedy. There having to turn away in or- will be some that nitpick der to regain composure. or criticize some element It was startling. I am, of our coverage, but, as after all, what might be Taylor Swift and others called a grizzled veteran of have said, “Haters gonna the news business. Early hate.” in my career, I was on the Our work that day and scene of a house fire in this week has been exwhich the resident had hausting, emotionally perished. I witnessed that draining and, at the same person’s loved ones trying time, rewarding. And — and failing — to cope, though my little girl still but I didn’t start crying didn’t witness it, as I lay alongside them. down after that first long On the morning of 9/11 and terrible day, I had a and in the days following, pretty good cry. I reported on the deaths of thousands, experienced JIM HERRIN is a reporter for the the generalized sadness of Herald-Citizen. His email address is jim.herrin@herald-citall of America, but never izen.com. reached a state of person-

Frank and Jean Gregory, center, a

, center, and their family stand in the remains of the Gregory house, which was damaged beyond repair by the tornado. Rubble dominates the landscape in one of the hardest-hit areas of the path of the tornado.

NIGHTMARE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Storm affected everyone

rowing up on Pea Ridge Road in Smith County, I loved thunderstorms. I would PAIGE STANNAGE sit outside on the carport with my dad while we watched and listened to them pass by. Momma would stand inside and yell at us to “get back in the house, y’all are gonna get struck by lightning!” Not much has changed through the years. I still love thunderstorms and listening to the rain pelt against the house; the sound is oddly comforting to me knowing I’m inside, warm and safe. The only two things that changed were the unexpected loss of my mom to a brain aneurysm about six months ago, and the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 3. My fiancé, Joey, and I live on Ridgedale Drive, which runs perpendicular to Highway 70. We went to bed around 11 p.m. Monday, March 2. Before bed, I mentioned that we were supposed to have storms. It was a nonchalant comment. We had no idea what was to come. I woke up at 1:50 a.m. to the sound of tornado sirens and an odd feeling in my gut. I had slept through storms and sirens before, but this felt different. I 64 — NIGHTMARE

completely blank from fear. It lasted all but 10 seconds. It was too dark to see the damage to our neighborhood, and sunrise wasn’t for another four hours. Joey surveyed the damage in the backyard with a flashlight. He told me the patio table was blown from the porch to the very back of our yard. The grill was moved about a foot or two, and its cover was blown off. My flower pots are still nowhere to be found. Only one thing remained urged Joey to wake up, and the same — my momma’s he was hesitant because he wind chimes were still had to work early the next hanging on our porch. I morning. know without doubt that I told him to hand me my she was watching over us. cell phone. I saw a tornado Now when we go to bed, warning for western Putour hugs are a little tighter nam County notification and our prayers are a little on my phone. At this point, longer. we got out of bed. It was When you think about about 1:53 a.m. and pray for the victims I immediately grabbed and their families, please our dog, Stark, and went to say a little prayer for those our bathroom, the safest of us who survived it, too. room in the apartment. Survivor’s guilt is very Joey looked out our front painful and real for many bedroom window and saw of us. One thing that helps the glass start to vibrate. is watching our commuWe both could hear the nity come together to help sound of a rushing train those impacted by the without a whistle nearby. tornado. I’ve never seen We hunkered down anything like this firsttogether in the bathroom hand. floor, the three of us, and I am very proud of our felt our home shake as our community. I am proud neighbor’s carport smashed to say that we are all against the side of our “Cookeville Strong.” apartment. All I could do was chant, PAIGE STANAGE is a Herald-Cit“God, please protect us all. izen reporter. Her email Mom, please protect us all.” address is paige.stanage@ Joey said his mind went herald-citizen.com.

Above, the entrance of Echo Valley Estates on Highway 70 is littered with debris from destroyed houses.

At left, a destroyed outbuilding and its contents were blown up against a stand of trees.

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0H-C EDITORIAL — MARCH 8, 20200

Finding strength in sorrow

ornado sirens have sounded many times since the deadly tornadoes of 1974 killed 11 people in Putnam County. On the 30th anniversary of that storm in 2004, Putnam Emergency Management Agency Director Tyler Smith said the death and destruction Putnam Countians experienced was sort of a wake-up call to help get the ball rolling toward becoming a “storm ready” county. No one could have imagined how important that would be just hours before daylight Tuesday morning. Sirens sounded to alert residents to 175 mile-per-hour winds, and many people did take cover and survive. Women in the Next Step Transitional House made it to the basement just before the roof ripped off their Highway 70 home. Others made it to bathrooms and hallways, where their lives were spared, but their homes were not. And yet, the timing of the 2 a.m. storms and the short notice ended with the deaths of five children and 13 adults, and 88 others injured. We know it could have been much worse. Many of our leaders, including State Rep. Ryan Williams, said that God was not in that tornado, but He has been part of the response. Our emergency responders and community leaders sprang into action in the minutes and hours that followed the 10-minute storm that cut a quarter-mile-wide, two-mile path down neighborhoods along Highway 70. They searched for the deceased, the injured, who were transported to Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where nurses and doctors held hands and saved lives. Our leaders solemnly stood beyond a podium every few hours to give updates on the dead, the injured and the missing as well as what those of us who felt helpless could do to help. Every person in our newsroom knew someone affected by the storm. Someone who died. Someone who lost everything. Someone who is still recovering. We have all watched the devastation of severe weather elsewhere while we continue on with our lives. But this time, it was us. There have been moments where we’ve felt paralyzed, but we kept moving because we didn’t know what else to do. Funerals for the deceased begin today. We continue to grieve and attempt to heal. We will never forget. 66 — NIGHTMARE

Damaged vehicles, uprooted trees, downed power lines and pieces of houses destroyed in the tornado line Highway 70. NIGHTMARE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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