Storm recovery begins in Tennessee after deadly tornado, flooding
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Flooding blocks a road in Rutherford County. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Transportation
Devastation left behind after deadly storms swept through Middle Tennessee came into focus Thursday as first responders continued clearing roads and combing through debris.
State of play: State and local officials have tied two Tennessee deaths to the storms, while others, including a 10-year-old boy in Rutherford County, suffered serious injuries.
- Maury County authorities said a woman in a mobile home died there as a violent tornado threw the home into trees.
- The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed one person died in East Tennessee when a tree crushed a car.
Rutherford County schools director Jimmy Sullivan said his 10-year-old son Asher was swept into a neighborhood storm drain while playing with friends in the water Wednesday.
- Sullivan said Asher was pulled under the neighborhood streets while adults were helping to clear debris. He eventually emerged in a drainage ditch.
- CPR helped restore Asher's heartbeat, but "the damage is substantial."
"His lungs are severely damaged and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks," Sullivan wrote.
- "Asher needs a miracle."
Rutherford County Schools thanked the community for its support and organized a vigil for Asher.
- "We've had many requests for people who want to assist, but what the family truly needs right now is tons of prayers."
Driving the news: Flooding remained a persistent challenge blocking roads in many places Thursday, including Rutherford, Robertson and Sumner counties. Some school systems remained closed Friday.
- The Cumberland River burst beyond its banks in downtown Nashville, blocking part of Riverfront Park.
- Opry Mills closed early Thursday because of flooding concerns along another stretch of the river.
The latest: National Weather Service survey teams reviewing damage from Wednesday's storms have confirmed three tornadoes so far.
- An EF-3 with 140 mph winds hit Maury County.
- An EF-1 with 90 mph winds hit Robertson County.
- An EF-0 with 80 mph winds hit Rutherford County.
Zoom out: Gov. Bill Lee traveled to Maury County to survey the damage along the deadly tornado's path. About 40 homes were destroyed and dozens more were damaged.
The bottom line: James Hargrove, a Tennessee Department of Transportation worker who responded to the area, said he had never seen destruction like it. As he arrived to clear trees and reopen roads, he reflected on the randomness of the storm.
- "This could have been my family," Hargrove said, according to a press pool report from Lee's travels.
- "It was a really scary situation."