TEMA Flash Report #2 Tennessee Severe Weather Dec. 10 & 11

Sunday, December 12, 2021 | 09:56am

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Tennessee Dept. of Health has confirmed one weather-related fatality in Shelby County, bringing Tennessee’s storm fatality total to four.
  • Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is surveying damage areas this afternoon, with members of his cabinet and staff, and will be meeting with local officials on the storm response.
  • The Crisis Cleanup Line, 800-451-1954, is active and accepting calls from Tennesseans in the storm damaged counties who need volunteer assistance with cleaning up from the storms.
  • The State Emergency Operations Center is activated and State of Tennessee personnel are supporting resource requests in the storm-impacted areas of the state.

CURRENT SITUATION

The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at a Level 3 – State of Emergency in support of local jurisdictions, state partners, and non-governmental organizations working storm-response operations in West and Middle Tennessee.

Two lines of severe weather produced heavy rain, powerful thunderstorms, and tornadic activity overnight Friday and into the mid-day Saturday. 

The Tennessee Dept. of Health has confirmed four, weather-related fatalities, with two fatalities in Lake County; one fatality in Obion County; and one fatality in Shelby County.

This afternoon, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is travelling to areas impacted in the storms, through Dickson, Stewart, and Lake counties, and will meet with local officials on-the-ground in Tiptonville and Dresden.  Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Holmes, Tennessee’s Adjutant General, is joining Gov. Lee on the damage survey, along with members of Gov. Lee’s staff and TEMA representatives.

As the severe weather cleared out of Tennessee Saturday, a number of local jurisdictions began damage assessments. Damage assessments will remain ongoing through the weekend and into next week as weather permits. There are no preliminary damage numbers to report currently.

Boil water advisories are in place in Dresden, Kenton, and Samberg due to storm impacts to water systems.

Utility service restoration efforts are ongoing with more than 95,000 people still without power statewide as of 2 p.m., Central. This total includes Davidson County, 52,000; Shelby, 15,500; Sumner, 6,400; Williamson, 3,400; Obion, 1,000; and Stewart, 500.

COUNTY-SPECIFIC IMPACTS

WEST TENNESSEE

  • Decatur– Downed trees and power lines
  • Dyer – Damage in the Newbern area to an elementary school, vocational school, and convenience store
  • Gibson – Crews clearing routes to assist residents in the communities of Dyer, Kenton, and Rutherford, along with an effort to open an alternate shelter location
  • Hardeman – Downed trees
  • Henderson – Power outages across the county and reports of three homes damaged
  • Henry – Overturned mobile homes and roof damage to many structures in the northern area of the county
  • Lake – Fire station in Samberg damaged, evacuation center open at Lake County High School
  • Madison – Shelter open at McKeller Sipes Airport and reports of extensive utility and structural damage
  • Obion – Sunset Cover/Roberson Mobile Home Park reported as destroyed
  • Shelby – Damage reported in the Arlington area
  • Tipton – More than 800 without power
  • Weakley – Burst line impacting water pressure in Dresden and multiple buildings collapsed

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

  • Hickman – Trees down over roadways and interstate wrecks reports; possible tornado touchdown in the northwest corner of the county
  • Montgomery – Providing fire crew to Stewart County to help with a structure fire
  • Stewart – Multiple trees and power lines down with multiple structures damaged across the county.

WEATHER FORECAST

  • Memphis: Clear and cold tonight, with a low of 30.
  • Nashville: Clear and cold with a low of 27 tonight.
  • Knoxville: Clouds breaking tonight and a low of 30.
  • Chattanooga: Partly cloudy and much colder with a low of 32 tonight.

###