CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Residents of a severely damaged apartment complex off of Tiny Town Road were informed on Tuesday that they have to recover all their personal belongings before cleaning efforts start on Thursday, despite that many have no way to make that happen.
Therese Swanson, 53, was a resident of the Blue Grass Meadows apartment complex when Saturday’s EF-3 tornado struck. Swanson lived in the apartment with her daughter, Aly Lagerquist, 27, her 13-year-old son, a roommate, and her three grandchildren.
Swanson was at work when the tornado alerts started coming through on her phone. Worried, she called her daughter, Lagerquist.
“I knew they were upstairs, and I was trying to talk her into going downstairs,” Swanson recalled. “The sirens were going off, and I could hear them, and she goes, ‘I don’t have time.'”
Back at the apartment, the tornado was closing in quickly. Lagerquist put her 13-year-old brother, the three children, and their three dogs in the bathtub before throwing herself over them.
When the worst of it seemed to have passed, Lagerquist and the other residents of Blue Grass Meadows walked out to assess the damage. It seemed that all was lost, including their vehicles.
Swanson and her family were fortunate enough to get a hotel while they tried to figure out what to do next. On Tuesday, residents of Blue Grass Meadows received the following email:
Attention Residents,
In light of the incident on 12-09-2023, all impacted apartment homes will undergo cleanup and boarding up on Thursday.
We kindly request that you retrieve all your belongings by Wednesday, 12-13-2023. We will begin the process of clearing the units of any discarded items, furniture, and the like. We will commence early Thursday morning on 12-14-2023, and any remaining items will be discarded.
Thank you for your cooperation.
GVA Management
Wednesday afternoon, they received this:
We trust this message finds you well despite the challenges posed by recent events. In light of the ongoing efforts to address the damage incurred by certain unlivable buildings, we kindly request your cooperation in ensuring the timely removal or towing of all vehicles parked in the vicinity.
By 1 pm tomorrow, December 14, 2023, we aim to clear the designated areas to facilitate the placement of essential equipment required for the ongoing restoration work. We understand the difficulties you may be facing, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding and collaboration during this process.
Please be advised that any vehicles left within the specified zones after the stipulated time will be subject to towing. Jones Brothers of Clarksville, TN, has been engaged for this purpose, and they will carry out the towing operation in a professional manner.
Your cooperation in this matter is crucial to the swift and effective resolution of the situation. We recognize and thank you for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.
Best Regards,
GVA Management
Swanson said the outpouring of support from the Clarksville community has made a difference, and their family is grateful, but this new time crunch was a new adversity they hadn’t expected.
“Our vehicles are totaled,” Lagerquist, Swanson’s daughter, told Clarksville Now. “We know that there are people in the community that would help us get our things, but where would we put them?”
GVA Clarksville told Clarksville Now they are unsure what will happen to the apartment complex after cleaning efforts are done, and the apartments are boarded up. Contractors will be on the scene starting Thursday, Dec. 14, to start cleaning efforts and assess the damage.
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