CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Power has been restored to all but a handful of households in the aftermath of Saturday’s tornado in Clarksville.
“Our dedicated crews have been working tirelessly today to bring power back to the community,” CDE said Thursday night. “Thanks for your patience and s0upport!”
At the height of the tornado’s impact Saturday afternoon, 20,000 households lost power.
How to volunteer, clean up
To volunteer with organized cleanup efforts, register online to receive a text message or email when volunteer opportunities are open, through Mosaic Church or LifePoint Church. To register a team of volunteers, sign up at United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region website.
Please avoid Britton Springs Road, Eva Drive, and Batts Lane in order for public services to complete their tasks with heavy machinery and the hauling of debris, according to Montgomery County officials.
Yard debris should be separated into three categories: wood and brush waste, metal, and all other trash.
Disaster relief center
Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road, will serve as a Multi-Agency Disaster Relief Center through Tuesday, Dec. 19. The Red Cross Shelter only will be open through Friday, Dec. 29, at the latest, to allow time for Northeast to prepare for classes to resume on Jan. 4. The doors are open for anyone who has been impacted by the tornado and is in need of support or resources.
Tornado damage, impact
The tornado touched down in Montgomery County at 1:41 p.m. Saturday on Fort Campbell just north of Sabre Airfield, according to a National Weather Service damage survey report. It became an EF-3 tornado with 150 mph winds. The path of destruction across north Clarksville was 600 yards wide and 11.33 miles long. It ended in the Exit 1 area, around Tylertown Road, before crossing into Kentucky.
Three people were killed in the tornado. As for injuries, 62 people were treated at the hospital, with nine of those being critical injuries.
As of Wednesday afternoon’s count, 2,211 residential sites, 81 commercial sites, and 3 public facilities were affected by the tornado, according to the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency. The status of these sites is: 268 residential sites were destroyed, 517 had major damage, 1,000 had minor damage, and 426 were otherwise affected.
On Wednesday, Montgomery County was declared a federal disaster area, which makes residents eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) Program, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and Direct Federal Assistance. Community members in need can contact FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 for assistance or register at disasterassistance.gov.
Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools are closed for the rest of the week, and with winter break following, that means students are out until January.
Hundreds of people turned out Monday to assist with debris cleanup, and those efforts are now on hold while trash haulers catch up.
MORE: Attorney steps in, buys more time for apartment tenants left scrambling to recover belongings
MORE: Do you need help? Shelter, supplies, laundry, storage, food and more available in Clarksville
MORE: How you can help tornado recovery, with supplies, volunteering, donations