10:00
10:00 NEWS STARTS NOW IN OUR4@ EVERYDAY LIFE. >> THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT I MEAN
WE'VE BEEN HERE WE'VE HAD SO
MANY DINNERS HERE4@. 4@
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF
TENNESSEE ARE IN DISBELIEF
AFTER TORNADOES RIPPED APART
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS4@ KILLING AT
LEAST TWO DOZEN PEOPLE IN THIS
STATE4@4@ FROM WEST NASHVILLE TO
MORGAN COUNTY.
TORNADOES4@ RANGING FROM POWERS
AS FAR AS WINSBY GOES FROM 1304@
TO 160 MILES AN HOUR, MAYBE UP
TO A HALF A DOZEN TORNADOES
FROM THAT SUPER CELL SYSTEM
LANDED IN PARTS OF TENNESSEE,
PARTICULARLY MIDDLE TENNESSEE4@@
AND ONE BASE IN PARTICULAR
WE'RE STANDING IN COOKVILLE
JUST ABOUT AN HOUR AND A4@ HALF
WEST OF KNOXVILLE.
AN EF 3 TORNADO HIT HERE.
AGAIN, WIND SPEEDS4@ OF UPWARDS
OF 130 T4@O 160 MILES AN4@ HOUR
THIS IS JUST4@ ONE EXAMPLE OF
THAT.
THIS IS THE BEAN'S HOME BEHIND
ME.
THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE INSIDE
THAT HOME.
MR.4@ BEING WAS UPSTAIRS WATCHIG
TELEVISION SEEING THESE STORMS4@
ROLL IN WHEN HE KNEW IT WAS
TIME TO GET UP AND GO TO THE
BASEMENT.
AND HE SAYS THE ONLY REASON HE
SURVIVED IS BECAUSE HE4@ MADE IT
DOWN STAIRS.
THOSE WINDS BLEW HIS HOUSE
APART.
FORTUNATELY HE SURVIVED AND HE
IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
LET ME RUN DOWN SOME OF THE
STATISTICS WE'VE BEEN REPORTING
ON4@ THROU4@GHOUT THE DAY.
AGAIN, AT LEAST 24 DEAD, 18 OF4@
THOSE ARE IN THE COOKVILLE
AREA.
THIS IS A COMMUNITY OF ABOUT
300004@ PEOPLE.
TENNESSEE TECH IS LOCATED HERE
.
IT'S A MANUFACTURING HUB4@.
IN FACT, ORECK MOVED HERE AFTER
HURRICANE KATRINA TO GET AWAY
FROM DISASTERS.
THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED HERE AT
LEAST PART4@ OF THEIR OPERATIONS
AGAIN.
THIS IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY
DECLARED BY4@ THE GOVERNOR OF
TENNESSEE.
THESE COMMUNITIES ARE IN
CLEANUP MODE BUT THEIR FOCUS IS
AGAIN ON THE VICTIMS4@ AND WE'RE
GOING TO GET TO THEM IN JUST A
MINUTE.
BUT FOR A SCENE SETTER IN
NASHVILLE ALSO4@ HARD H4@IT BY
ANOTHER TORNADO.
WE TURN NOW TO NBC JAY GRAY,
THE SOUNDS OF RECOVERY ECHO
ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE RIGHT
NOW.
>> WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT, YOU
KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT GOT
COMPLETELY DEVASTATED.
WE'RE4@ HERE TO HELP AN ARMY OF
VOLUNTEERS GATHERING IN AREAS
THAT LOOK LIKE WAR ZONES.
>> ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS4@ GONE
WHAT LITTLE THAT'S LEFT OF
HOMES AND BUSINESSES4@ RIPPED
APART BY THE STORMS SCATTERED
FOR MILES.
>> FOR MANY WHO LOST MOST
EVERYTHING, IT'S HARD TO KNOW
HOW OR WHAT4@ TO DO NEXT.
>> I'VE CRIED A LITTLE BIT.
>> I'M NUMB.
I'M SHOCKED.
4@4@WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH WORDS4@
STILL AS THEY BEGIN WHAT'S SURE
TO BE A LONG STRUGGLE TO
RECOVER.
MOST HERE UNDERSTAND THEY'RE4@
THE FORTUNATE ONE.
SO MANY PEOPLE NOT ONLY LOST
THEIR HOMES4@, THEY LOST THEIR
LIFE.
AND YOU KNOW THIS STUFF CAN BE
REPLACED.
WE CAN'T AT LEAST 24 PEOPLE
DIED4@ IN THE STORM AND SEARCH
AND RECOVERY TEAMS ARE STILL
WORKING THROUGH DEBRIS.
MORE THAN A DOZEN IN THE STRIKE
ZONE ARE STILL MISSING WHILE
SURVIVE VERSE SEARCH FOR A WAY
TO COME BACK.
>> WE ARE AN INCREDIBLE4@
COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GOING TO
WORK TOGETHER TO REBUILD AND BE@
EVEN BETTER THAN WE WERE
BEFORE.
BEFORE THEIR LIVES AND
COMMUNITIES WERE TORN APART.
>> NOW THE REBUILD4@ CAN'T START
UNTIL THE CLEANUP A4@ND RECOVERY
IS OVER.
>> AN EFFORT4@ THAT CLEARLY IS
GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME HERE.
JAY GRAY, NBC NEWS, NASHVILLE.
>>4@ AGAIN.
BACK LIVE HERE JUST ON THE
OUTSKIRTS OF COOKVILLE, I'M
JOHN BECKER REPORTING.
OF THIS STORM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE ON THE
CLEANUP EFFORTS UNDER WAY.
BUT AGAIN4@, AS I MENTIONED, THE
FOCUS TODAY IS ON THE VICTIMS
AND I WANT TO RETURN TO ONE OF
MY COLLEAGUES, SHANNON SMITH
WHO HAS BEEN TALKING TO PEO4@PLE
WHO KNEW PEOPLE WHO DIED4@ IN
THIS STORM.
>> AND JOHN, LIKE WE TALKED
ABOUT THE AGE RANGE FOR THE
VICTIMS4@ IS VERY BIG.
TWO YEARS OLD TO 67 YEARS OLD
AND4@ A LOT OF THOSE IN THE SAME
FAMILY.
SO ONE FAM4@ILY THAT I MET UP
WITH TODAY'S CURTIS FAMILY FIVE
OF THEM WERE ASLEEP IN THEIR
HOUSE ONLY TWO MADE IT OUT
ALIVE.
WHEN THE NEWS OF THE TORNADO
BROKE, PARRISH BURGESS CALLED
HER BEST FRIENDS.
HEY, 4@YOU GET A HOLD OF US IF
YOU'RE OK.
I TRIED CALLING THEM CELL PHONE
STUFF WAS DOWN CAYTON GET IN
TOUCH WITH THEM.
WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THE CURTIS
FAMILY HOME WAS DESTROYED BY A
TORNADO, SHE BROKE DOWN TO
THINK THAT THEY WORK SO HARD
FOR ALL OF THIS.
THEIR WHOLE LIVES AND IT'S JUST
GONE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
4@4@YOU KNOW MOM JENNIFER AND NE
YEAR OLD EASTON CURTIS ARE IN
THE HOSPITAL BUT OK.
>> HE SAID AS SOON AS HE HIT
HIS MOM'S ARMS THAT SHE WRAPPED
HIM UP AND HE REMEMBERED THE
POWER GOING OUT4@.
>> HE REMEMBERS THE ROOF
BLOWING OFF.
>> FATHER TERRY, LITTLE BROTHER
DAWSON AND NANNY AMANDA COLE
WERE KILLED4@.
>> TARA4@ DUSTIN WITH HE WAS
MAINLY THE THANR BUT HE WAS SO
SWEET4@.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS LIKE BURGESS
ARE NOW TRYING TO SALVAGE WHAT4@
THEY CAN AND KEEP TERRY DAWSON
IN AMANDA'S MEMORIES4@ ALIVE.
JUST KIND OF IJAMS HAELING
PEOPLE ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW,
YOU KNOW AND IT'S NOT JUST US
AND I KNOW THAT.
>> SO BACK LIVE4@ HERE THAT WE
SCHIELE SMITH REPORTING.
AGAIN, EMOTIONS ARE RAW.
WE ARE4@ 36 HOURS AFTER THESE
STORMS HIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT4@.
THAT'S WHAT MADE IT EXTRA SCARY
AND EXTRA DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE
BECAUSE MANY WERE ASLEEP IN
THIS COMMUNITY.
THEY DIDN'T HEAR THEIR PHONES
GO OFF.
SOME GOT CALLS SAYING SEEK
COVER FROM FRIENDS WHO'VE BEEN
WATCHING THE NEWS BROADCASTS
FROM NASHVILLE LETTING4@ EM KNOW
THEY NEEDED TO TAKE SHELTER.
THAT'S HOW THEY FOUND OUT.
THERE IS4@ HOPE THAT IS BEGINNIG
TO EMERGE FROM ALL THIS
DESTRUCTION.
AGAIN, MY COLLEAGUE GABRIELLE
HAYES JOINS US WITH MORE ON THE
PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE4@ TODAY.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY, JOHN.
I SPOKE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE4@
WHO'VE EITHER LOST THEIR LIVES
OR ARE TRYING TO4@ KNOW PEOPLE
WHO LOS4@T THEIR LIVES OR ARE
TRYING TO REBUILD TODAY.
I SPOKE TO ONE COUPLE.
THEY'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 29
YEARS.
THEIR HOUSE IS GONE.
IT'S FLATTENED. 4@
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS VIDEO HERE
THEY WERE TRYING TO GET TO
THEIR HALLWAY WHEN4@ THE4@ TORNO
HIT.
IT FLATTENED THEIR HOME.
THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT
ALIVE.
BUT THEY DO HAVE BRUISES.
THEY HAVE A BLACK EYE.
THEY HAVE SOME SCRATCHES.
HOWEVER, THEY SAY THEY ARE
GRATEFUL4@ TO HAVE EACH OTHER.
THEY'RE PICKING UP THE PIECES
NOW AND THEY'RE JUST HAPPY TO
BE ALIVE4@.
I GOT THROUGH THE HALLWAY DOOR
AND I COULDN'T I COULDN'T GET
OUT.
IT STARTED RIGHT THEN AND IT
HIT THE HOUSE JUST LIKE A
PREMIRE.
>> THEY'VE HAD PEOPLE OUT HERE
ALL DAY4@ HELPING THEM PICK UP
THE PIECES, FINDING EVERYTHING
FROM PICTURES TO TO KITCHEN
WHERE THEIR BLANKETS MAY SAY
THOSE THINGS MATTER BECAUSE
THAT WAS A PART OF THEIR LIVES
.
AND SO AT THIS POINT AGAIN
THEY'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE ALIVE4@
WITHOUT A DOUBT.
GABRIEL HAYES REPORTING TONIGHT
THANKS.
4@A LITTLE BIT LATER IN OUR
NEWSCAST.
WE APPRECIATE IT, GABRIELLE.
WE4@ WANT TO TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER
PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT
IS THE COOKVILLE COMMUNITY
CENTER NOW4@ A DISTRIBUTION
CENTER FOR SUPPLIES.
PEOPLE ARE COMING FORWARD WITH
ALL KINDS OF ITEMS.
THEY'RE GOING TO STORES4@
BRINGING THINGS FROM THEIR
HOMES TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WHO
DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WHOSE4@ LOST
EVERYTHING HAVE SOMETHING TO
GATHER NOW.
THEY COULD USE SOME MORE CANNED
GOODS AS WELL AS SOME DIAPERS.
VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN WORKING
HARD TO ENSURE THAT THOSE ITEMS
GET4@ TO PEOPLE MOST IN NEED.
AND LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS, LOTS OF
FOLKS WANTING TO GIVE BRING
THINGS THAT THEY HAVE PURCHASED
FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND AND
HELP US SET4@.
>> BUT WE'VE GOT LOTS OF GREAT
VOLUNTEERS AND WE'LL ALWAYS
TAKE MORE4@4@.
AND AGAIN, HER STUDENTS ARE
HELPING OUT.
SHE SAYS THEY COMPLETED SPECIAL@
DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING
BEFORE THOSE TORNADOES UNFOLDED
.
SO THE TIMING FOR THEM.
VERY GOOD.
AGAIN BACK LIVE HERE. 4@
ED, WHAT IS THE EPICENTER OF
ONE OF THE STORM CELLS THAT
DROPPED OUT OF THAT SUPERSTORM4@
?
SO4@ WE'RE IN THE PATH OF A
TORNADO.
WE'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT
MORE OF THIS DESTRUCTION IN A
MOMENT.
BUT FIRST VOLUNTEERS FROM
ACROSS THIS STATE AND FROM AS
FAR AWAY AS MINNESOTA HAVE MADE
IT HERE4@ TO H4@ELP OUT THE
NEIGHBORS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
GRACE KING IS REPORTING ON THAT
NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR
EFFORT AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS4@
POURING IN TO HELP.
YEAH, AND JOHN, LIKE YOU
MENTIONED, THERE'S BEEN A LOT4@
OF LOSS HERE BUT THE PEOPLE I
TALKED TO SAID THIS COMMUNITY
IS STRONG AND THAT IT'S REALLY
BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN THEM
AS THEY ALL HELP TO CLEAN.
WE ALL WENT TO THE CLOSET AND4@
THEN I ASKED MY DAUGHTER TO
START PRAY AND SHE4@ DID IT
BEFORE SHE CAN GET DONE WITH
HER PRAYER4@.
OUR HOUSE WAS GONE.
ERIC GROOMS IS4@ THANKFUL TO BE
ALIVE.
>> THERE WAS LITERALLY NO WALLS
.
>> NOTHING AROUND US.
NO ROOF, NO WALLS.
>> HIS4@ HOUSE4@ FLATTENED.
>> WE LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS
NOTHING BUT HIS FAMILY.
OKAY.
>> IT WAS JUST LIKE GOD SAID NO
,YOU'RE NOT TAKING THESE TODAY
.
THESE ARE MY.
>> NOW HE'S4@ CLEANING UP WHAT'S
LEFT.
LIKE SO MANY OF HIS NEIGHBO4@RS
EVERYTHING WAS GONE.
ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS4@ HOUSES
WERE ABSOLUTELY FLATTENED.
>> AMY JENNINGS TURNED HER
HOUSE4@ INTO A REFUGE THE NIGHT
OF THE TORNADO.
>> THEY WERE WET AND THEY WERE
COLD AND THEY WERE CRYING.
>> NOW SHE'S HELPING HER
COMMUNITY CLEAN UP.
IT'S BEEN AN AWFUL DAY BUT WE
CAN TURN THIS4@ INTO SOMETHING
GOOD, SOMETHING4@ GOOD IN4@ THE
COMMUNITY.
>> SHE KNOWS AND LOVES TRAGEDY
.
>> IT USUALLY BRINGS OUT THE
BEST IN PEOPLE.
IT BRINGS4@ HOPE.
IT BRINGS OUT LOVE AND THAT'S
KIND OF WHAT WE DO ESPECIALLY
IN THE SOUTH4@.
>> GRACE KING REPORTING THAT
STORY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MOST
REVEALED AND WE'LL SHOW YOU THE
POWER OF THESE STORMS IS4@ BEFOE
AND AFTER PICTURES AND FOR MORE
CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE ON4@ THT
WE TURN TO OUR COLLEAGUE JIM
MATHENY.
ALL RIGHT.
>> SO FOR THIS COMPARISON HERE
IS KNOXVILEL.
WE'RE GOING TO ZOOM IN TO
PUTNAM COUNTY AT COOKVILLE AND
BASICALLY THIS TORNADO CUTS
PATH ALL ALONG HERE JUST ABOVE
US 70.
AND IF WE ZOOM INTO THESE
SUBDIVISIONS, TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS DRONE FOOTAGE OF4@ THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
LEVELED.
YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE4@ THE PATH
WHERE IT PLOWED THROUGH ALL OF
THESE HOUSES AND THIS SHORT
ROAD WITH THE CUL DE SAC.
THIS IS HENSLEY DRIVE. 4@
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GOOGLE4@
SATELLITE IMAGE FROM THE SAME
ANGLE BEFORE THE STORM.
AND YOU SEE4@ ALL OF THESE HOUSS
,THESE YARDS ARE MOWED AND
THEN IF YOU ZOOM4@ JUST A LITTLE
BIT YOU CAN SEE THE PUBLIC
SWIMMING POOL JUST A COUPLE OF
BLOCKS4@ AWAY.
HERE'S WHAT THAT AREA ALL
AROUND THE POOL AND ALL OF
THESE TREES AND HOUSES LOOK
LIKE AFTER THE TORNADO TOWARD
THIS AREA APART.
NOW IF WE GO BACK AND TAKE
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE4@ HOUSES IN
THE OTHER DIRECTION, THIS IS A
ROAD CALLED CHARLTON SQUARE.
YOU SEE EVERYTHING IS
DEMOLISHED.
AND THIS IS A SATELLITE PHOTO
FROM BEFORE THE STORM.
NOW FROMT COOKVILLE LET'S GO
WEST UNTIL YOU GET AROUND 20
MILES BEFORE NASHVILLE.
>> THAT IS WHERE A TORNADO
HAMMERED JULIA.
THESE SHOTS YOU SEE RIGHT HERE
ARE ALONG MOUNT JULIET4@ ROAD
JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM A
MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND HERE'S HOW THIS4@ LANDSCAPE
LOOKS FROM GOOGLE EARTH.
YOU SEE JUST BUSINESSES ALONG
THE LARGER ROAD AND THEN A
QUIET RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD
.
WHILE ALL OF THIS AREA4@ IS NOW
TORN UP AND HERE'S A SHOT
DIRECTLY OVER A COUPLE4@ OF
HOUSES. 4@
AND HERE IS THE SATELLITE IMAGE
OF THOSE SAME HOUSES BEFORE THE
STORM.
THEN YOU SEE YOU GO BACK RIGHT
HERE4@ AGAIN.
THIS IS AFTER THE DAMAGE FROM
THOSE TORNADOES.
YOU GET AN IDEA BASICALLY OF
ALL THE WORK IT'S GOING TO TAKE
TO CLEAN UP AND REBUILD.
SEND IT BACK TO YOU4@.
>> THANK YOU, JIM.
WE TALKED ABOUT THERE WERE
TORNADOES OF DIFFERENT
INTENSITIES FROM E.F. 04@ TO E..
3.
AND FOR MORE PERSPECTIVE ON
THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN
CASSIE NOW4@ OUR METEOROLOGIST
WHO TRACK THOSE STORMS AND ALSO
HAS A LOOK AT WHAT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE4@ HAS BEEN
LOOKING INTO TODAY CASSIE.
THANK YOU, JOHN.
>> YES.
SO4@ BASICALLY WHAT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IS DOI4@NG IS
GOING OUT AND SURVEYING THE
DAMAGE THAT YOU JUST SAW IN
THAT STORY AND WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING BEHIND ME HERE AND4@ WHAT
THEY LOOK FOR IS THE TYPE OF
STRUCTURE THAT IT IS OR WAS THE
DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE TO THOSE
MATERIALS THAT ORIGINALLY
CONSTRUCTED THAT STRUCTURE4@ AND
ALSO THEY LOOK AT THE DAMAGE TO
VEGETATION.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE E4@ EF
SCALE THAT THEY USE TO RATE
THESE TORNADOES.
IT'S CALLED THE ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE.
ORIGINALLY THE FUJITA SCALE
CAME TO FRUITION IN THE MID
1970S AND THEN IN 2007 IT WAS
REVAMPED.
AND THAT'S4@ WHY IT'S CALLED THE
ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE.
SO WHAT IT IS IS A WAY FOR THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO
ASSESS THE DAMAGE TO VEGETATION
AND STRUCTURES AND FROM THAT
ALONG WITH RADAR DATA, THEY ARE
ABLE TO4@ GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE F
HOW STRONG THE WINDS WERE IN A
TORNADO.
NOW THEY GO TO THE MOST HIGHLY
DAMAGED LOCATIONS TO GET THE
MAXIMUM WIND4@ SPEEDS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE TORNADOES.
AND THEY RANGE FROM AN EF 0
WHICH IS4@ KIND OF A WEAK TORNAO
WITH WINDS OF 65 TO 85 MILES
PER HOUR ALL UP TO AN EF 5 WITH
WINDS THAT CAN BE GREATER THAN
2004@ MILES PER HOUR.
THAT DOES INCREDIBLE
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE AND4@ IS
CONSIDERED A VIOLENT TORNADO AN
EF 4 IN AND EFI OR CONSIDERED
VIOLENT AS OF THIS POINT AND
COOKVILLE.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
NASHVILLE4@ HAS DETERMINED THAT
THEY HAVE FOUND AT LEAST E EF 3
TORNADO DAMAGE IN THAT
COMMUNITY.
THAT MEANS THAT THEY FOUND WIND
SPEEDS OF AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED
AND THIRTY SIX TO ONE HUNDRED
AND SIXTY FIVE MILES PER HOUR4@
SO OBVIOUSLY WHAT YOU'VE SEEN
IN THE PICTURES IN THE VIDEOS
HERE WIDESPREAD VERY BAD DAMAGE
IN THAT AREA.
THEY ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO
ACCESS THE WORST HIT AREAS.
WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION
FROM THEM AS WE RECEIVE IT.
BACK TO YOU, JOHN4@.
>> CASSIE, WE APPRECIATE IT
VERY MUCH.
>> AGAIN,4@ YOU HAVE TALKED ABOT
THE I4@NDISCRIMINATE4@ NATURE OF
TORNADOES AND THIS IS A PERFECT
EXAMPLE.
REMEMBER THE BEAMS HOME I
SHOWED YOU AT BROADCAST AGAIN
DESTROYED BY THOSE WINDS FROM
THE E334@ TORNADO RIGHT ACROSS
THE DRIVEWAY.
4@YOIU H4@OME.
HOW ABOUT THAT THEY LOST MAYBE4@
VOLUNTEERS HELP BOARD THEM UP
BUT THEY SAW THEIR WATER4@
RESTORED TODAY BARELY ANY
PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HOME.
THIS COMMUNITY IS IN R4@ECOVERY
MODE RIGHT NOW BUT THEY ARE
CERTAINLY REFLECTING ON THE
LIVES LOST HERE.
4@AND AS4@ WE HEAD TO BREAK, WEE
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF
THESE STORMS IN PUTNAM