Tennessee Region Tornado Disaster Response Update 12-13-23

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 13, 2023 – The American Red Cross Tennessee Region continues to serve in communities across the region affected by the Dec. 9 tornadoes. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this disaster.

Here are some quick facts for the response:

• Even with the holidays quickly approaching, Red Cross disaster responders, made up primarily of volunteers, are working closely with our partners to make sure everyone has a safe place to stay, meals, emotional support and comfort.
• Red Cross emergency shelters are open in Madison and Clarksville.
• Clarksville Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road
• Madison Madison Community Center, 550 N. Dupont Ave.
• You can help people affected by disasters like tornadoes and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• The Red Cross is not accepting donations of food, household items or clothing as they cannot be distributed by our teams. Right now, financial donations are the quickest and best way to get help to those who need it most – and give people the flexibility to purchase what they need.
• The tornadoes left significant destruction behind around Clarksville and Nashville, injuring more than 60 people ─ some critically.
• Early estimates indicate as many as 1,000 homes were impacted with more than 100 destroyed and almost 270 receiving major damage.
• Red Cross volunteers are helping assess the residential damage in affected communities. This work will help us to better understand what help families may need in the coming days and weeks.
• Trained Red Cross volunteers are also helping families cope during this challenging time and replacing prescription medications, eyeglasses or critical medical equipment like canes and wheelchairs which were lost during the tornadoes.

Red Cross emergency shelters are open in Madison and Clarksville for anyone who needs a safe place to stay. Anyone affected by the recent tornadoes can stop by to get information, a hot meal, charge their phone, pick up relief supplies and get other essential support.  

• Find open shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) and selecting the disaster option. 
• You can also find shelters by following your local county and city officials on social media or monitoring local news. 
• Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status, and all disaster assistance is free.  
• We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a shelter, just their name and where they were living before the disaster. 
• Our workers will do all they can to accommodate service animals and domesticated pets comfortably. If you go to a shelter, please bring your own animal crate, supplies, medications and food whenever possible. Depending on the situation, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from animal welfare groups. 

 

Much of the area around Fort Campbell was affected. We will support service members, veterans and their families with requests for financial assistance through their military aid society or with community support resources by contacting our Hero Care Network online, via our website, the Hero Care App or by calling 1-877-272-7337.  

• About 250 Army families at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, were displaced after the tornadoes. 
• The base is on the Tennessee-Kentucky border near Clarksville, Tennessee, where damage was severe. 
• As many as 1,100 Fort Campbell soldiers and family members are without water, heat or electricity, and it could be a week or more until those utilities are restored. 

  

For more information on the tornadoes or if you need assistance following the storms, go to redcross.org/Tennessee.  

 

About the American Red Cross: 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Tennessee or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossTN. The American Red Cross Tennessee Region serves all 95 counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas and Desoto and Tunica counties in Mississippi. The Tennessee Region – part of a nationwide network of locally supported chapters - is comprised of the following eight Red Cross chapters: East Tennessee, Heart of Tennessee, Mid-South, Mid-West Tennessee, Nashville Area, Southeast Tennessee, Northeast Tennessee and Tennessee River.