Recovery continues one year after deadly tornado in Clarksville
Four people were killed by the EF-3 tornado.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Monday marked one year since a deadly tornado outbreak across Middle Tennessee.
The strongest tornado of the day killed four people when it hit Clarksville and Montgomery County.
The EF-3 tornado had winds up to 150 mph and stayed on the ground for 48 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
A year later, there is still damage visible across the city with homes and businesses awaiting repair.
Denise Batten’s 78-year-old mom, Penny Scroggins, was ripped from her brother’s hands and sucked out of their home along Dogwood Trace.
The wind knocked down trees and flattened the house, Batten said. Scroggins died from her injuries a week after the storm at the hospital.
Batten said it was very emotional returning to her mom’s property on Monday with her sister.
The family has decided to not rebuild the home and instead sell the property. Batten said it hurts every time they go back there.
“It’s never easy when you lose someone you love,” Batten said. “You think when you make those milestones like it’s been a year or the first birthday, but that’s actually the easy part. It’s looking towards the future that’s the hardest part because they will never be there to be part of the new memories.”
She said there is still miles of cleanup work to be done along the tornado’s path a year after the storm. Their neighborhood has empty lots where there used to be homes and piles of tree trunks that were ripped down by the wind.
READ MORE: Rebuilding efforts continue 1 year after deadly tornado outbreak in Middle Tennessee
Scroggins would always tell Batten to make something positive out of a negative situation and keep pushing until something is achieved, and that is exactly what Batten said they’ve been doing since the home was destroyed.
Across town, construction crews are still working to rebuild apartment buildings at the Blue Grass Meadows complex. People there were forced to move out after the storm caused extensive damage.
Daniel Simmons said it was chaotic rushing to make sure his family was safe after the tornado hit Clarksville. He moved into a new apartment at Blue Grass Meadows over the summer and has watched as other buildings were demolished or renovated.
“Time went by really fast,” Simmons said. “A lot of folks have moved in. It’s turned back into a community. They’ve already started construction, rebuilding, making sure that the properties are looking nice for the residents.”
Simmons expects it to take a couple more years until everything across the area is back to normal.
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