Lewis County declared state of emergency

by Amanda Curtis

Staff Reporter

"Thankfully, in our community, a neighbor extends past one's street." Krista Hinson's words couldn't be proven more true than they have this past week as community members booted up to help each other. Destruction is only for the property and love 'em or hate 'em, it is what brought friends and neighbors together.

Late Friday night, March 31, and early Saturday morning, April 1, the tornado sirens in town rang loud, warning residents to take cover as a verified tornado was on the ground, and parts of Lewis County were in its path. Some went underground, some piled their children in the tub with a mattress over top, some filled the Fire Hall, and some slept right through it.

Those in the Fire Hall shared space with City Mayor Danny McKnight and family, pets of all sizes, prayer warriors, men, women, and children. As Mayor McKnight walked around, he passed out water bottles and consoled those in wait. "This is the safest place to be," he said. "This building was built for situations like this, so when the news told us to get to a safe place, we came straight here with no hesitations. Our firemen and law enforcement officers on hand did a fantastic job making sure the Fire Hall was open for our residents. Without them being prepared, ready to go, and considerate of their community, we may all have been in trouble."

After assessing the aftermath, the National Weather Service determined parts of Lewis County was hit by an F2 tornado with peak winds of 130 miles per hour. This is the same tornado that also struck McNairy and Hardin Counties that left at least nine dead. Lewis County had no reported injuries or deaths due to the storm.

The severe destruction to nature, several homes and structures prompted Lewis County Mayor Jonah Keltner to declare a State of Emergency in our community since March 31, 2023. Keltner also issued an emergency authorization to the Transfer Station to temporarily waive all Storm-Related Residential Scale Fees for Pit Material and Brush Pile Material to Lewis County residents who experienced storm damage to their property. The temporary order is effective Monday April 3 through April 8, and will allow the Transfer Station to remain open on Good Friday. "Our community," said Keltner, "has always stepped up and helped each other out in times of trouble, and that has clearly been evident this weekend as well."

Some of the affected areas were Grinders Creek, Metal Ford, Napier Road, Seiber Ridge, Howard Switch, and Rockhouse Road. Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative worked through the weekend to restore power to customers as well as restore destroyed power lines.