Clarksville tornado recovery reaches 4-month mark

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Four months ago today, in the early-afternoon hours of Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, a tornado caused major destruction across a 12-mile swath of north Clarksville.

Four lives were tragically lost, and hundreds of other lives in the tornado's path were changed forever when their homes and property were reduced to debris.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts made a pledge from day 1 of the disaster, that the City will not stand down from the recovery effort until every single victim who needs help, gets it.

What's been accomplished since then has gained nationwide accolades.

"This is a long-term recovery effort. We have realized that since Dec. 9 when the tornado struck our City, and we are here for the long-term. We don't want to leave anyone behind. We want everyone to get the help they need, and deserve," Mayor Pitts said.

"I am proud of the combined efforts of everyone, working united to see our community through this historic tragedy," he said.

Mobilization started the moment that the National Weather Service Tornado Warning was issued.

At that moment, the City of Clarksville - working in tandem with Montgomery County Government and its Emergency Management Agency and Emergency Medical Services, the Clarksville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Clarksville Fire Rescue, Clarksville Street Department, and Montgomery County Highway Department - all combined their resources for the recovery and clean-up efforts.

Remarkably, CDE Lightband was able to fully restore power to the tornado zone, and homes that could safely receive it, within three days after the weather event.

Answering the call as they always do, Fort Campbell and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were on the scene and helping with recovery from the outset.

And from the beginning, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System provided sheltering and meals at Northeast High School, along with school personnel to assist victims into, and shortly after the Christmas and New Year's holidays that followed on the heels of the disaster.

And then there were the volunteers - so many of them. At the center of it all, Mosaic Church and Lifepoint Church went to work immediately to assist the coordinated clean-up.

The United Way of Middle Tennessee has worked closely with the City of Clarksville, Montgomery County, and numerous non-profit and faith-based groups to form the Clarksville-Montgomery County Long-Term Recovery Group.

This group has been crucial to the recovery effort, supported by such organizations as Hands On Nashville, Irene Center for Hope, Habitat for Humanity, Urban Ministries, YaiPak, and numerous others. The Clarksville-Montgomery County Homebuilders Association is also stepping up to help.

At the arrival of this four-month tornado anniversary - and after an active and visible presence in Clarksville by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - the work continues, from the neighborhood cleanup and restoration efforts, to personalized, one-to-one financial assistance.

This week, Mayor Pitts will lead City employees in making phone calls and welfare checks to a comprehensive list of tornado victims, to find out how they are doing four months later, and what they need.

"Over the past four months, we have personally triaged hundreds of residents dealing with concerns ranging from private-carrier insurance challenges, to families needing food, clothing and other basic essentials," said Michelle Austin, Director of the City of Clarksville's Neighborhood & Community Services Department, and chair of the City's internal Long-Term Tornado Recovery Task Force.

"Now, four months later, within the City of Clarksville, we want to check in on our affected residents and see who is still in need of service, and on April 9, we will start making those follow-up phone calls," Ms. Austin said.

Anyone needing information about tornado recovery assistance can also visit the City's website at https://www.clarksvilletn.gov/1164/IMPORTANT-TORNADO-INFORMATION

Attached photo: Recovery and clean-up efforts continue in areas of north Clarksville that were hard-hit by the Dec. 9, 2023, tornado.

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