Nashville community cleans up after devastating Tornado of Middle Tennessee.

Photo by Porsha Hernandez of Jordan Huffman and member of Scott’s Chapel AME Church of Hermitage as the church distributed food and water supplies to those cleaning after the Tornado at the sight of Hermitages own Magnitude 10.0 Gymnastics site which was demolished.

Porsha HernandezMarch 25, 2020

A group of Nashville citizens and church members from Scotts Chapel AME came together March 8 to help clean the local 10.0 Gymnastics in Hermitage and Donaldson after a tornado swept through earlier this month.

The tornado caused an estimated $90 million in damage to the community, but the residents and city officials came together to put what once was home to hundreds of people together again. One of the main sites was Magnitude 10.0 gymnasium. Trophies, crowns and equipment were spread hundreds of feet away from the gymnasium.

“There have been hundreds of people affected and we have been out in the community the whole week finding out things to do,” said Jordan Huffman, 33, vice president of the Donaldson and Hermitage area. “Everyone is going to have a sense of awareness when another storm comes through. These things are powerful.”

Power outages affected thousands of areas in East Hermitage. The 165 mph EF-3 tornado struck at 12:53 a.m. March 3 waking some but claiming the lives of others. Scotts Chapel AME Church of Nashville Terri Christian along with other church members devoted themselves to helping feed and bring water to those cleaning the damage at the Magnitude 10.0 Gymnasium in the local community.

An inside look of the storage of Magnitude 10.0 gymnasium mats and products used to compete in national competitions destroyed. Fiberglass and insulation filled the streets and trees from the inside of the storage. (Photo by Porsha Hernandez)

The gymnasium was just about to celebrate its 15-year anniversary March 1. Volunteers helped clean the insulation, metal and the Products of Foley Company across the street which was affected too.

Product Foley Company of Hermitage with thousands of concrete, pipeline and other supplies scattered across the driveway of the place. (Photo by Porsha Hernandez)

“You would never think after all these years since the tornado in 1998 that it would really happen unexpectedly,” said Christian, 51, of Nashville. “It really took everyone by surprise and the fact that people woke up missing a family member or home really lets reality set in after all that Nashville has came from.”

Nashville’s residents were already going through the pandemic shock of the coronavirus after having reported its first case. The tornado left a mural standing with everything around it destroyed. “I believe in Nashville” were the words displayed on the jagged wall standing located at 2702 12th Ave.

Picture of the famous “I believe in Nashville” mural aftermath of the tornado. (Photo courtesy of the Go Fund Me page for Nashville relief) https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/nashville-tornado

“There’s one thing to have a tornado but to add a pandemic to one city at the same time is unbelievable,” said Jailyn Scales, 19, of Nashville, who gave birth to her son a week prior to the storm. “It hit everything around us, but our street was not touched and all I remember is clutching my child in my arms because you can hear the storm. This should be a reminder that God is in control and we are not.”

The tornado affected Davidson, Wilson, Cookeville, Putnam and Smith counties claiming the lives of 26 people, five whom were children. Eighteen people are still missing after this natural disaster. Kroger in Hermitage was hit along with surrounding stores.

There was only one reported case of the coronavirus in the city at that time which was a woman who was being self-quarantined. John Cooper, 63, the mayor of Nashville, said he was making plans to keep the city flourishing, rebuilding immediately and asking for volunteer helpers to clean the damaged areas.

“In spite of the bittersweet tragedy, all the residents came together to help one another through these times and local businesses helped feed those who were hungry,” Scales said. “Many pantries have opened to serve those in need.”

The foundation of a church and school lifted and turned into scraps. (Photo by Porsha Hernandez)

Video of tornado is available online. https://twitter.com/PlushnickWX/status/1237326082799476737?s=20