Tornado Touches Down in Lawrence County

AN EF-0 OR EF-1 TORNADO CUT A BROKEN PATH OF DAMAGE IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN LAWRENCE COUNTY ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING AT 3:42 PM AND DAMAGE REPORTS BEGAN COMING IN TO E-911 ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

ACCORDING TO RESPONDING PERSONNEL, A 100 YARD WIDE BY ½ TO ¾ MILE DAMAGE PATH BEGINNING ON NORTH BRADLEY ROAD TO GORE AT GRANDADDY ROAD AND A SECOND PATH FROM DOWNTOWN ETHRIDGE TO CROSS ROAD HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.  NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWN AND SEVERAL ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF OF BARNS AND OTHER STRUCTURES.  ONE MINOR INJURY WAS REPORTED IN ETHRIDGE.

OVER 150 PERSONNEL FROM NUMEROUS AGENCIES RESPONDED INCLUDING LAWRENCE COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE, LAWRENCEBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT, LAWRENCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, LAWRENCEBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT, ETHRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LORETTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL, LAWRENCE COUNTY CONSTABLES, LAWRENCE COUNTY EMS, LAWRENCE COUNTY SKYWARN, LAWRENCE COUNTY EMA, MAURY COUNTY EMA, WAYNE COUNTY EMA, E-911, LAWRENCE COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, LAWRENCEBURG UTILITY SYSTEM, AND TVA.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE SENDING AN ASSESSMENT TEAM ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, HOWEVER A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS AND RADAR INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT THE EVENT WAS AN EF-0 OR EF-1 TORNADO.  INCIDENT COMMANDER JAY MOORE ALSO THANKED MARS HILL BAPTIST AND ETHRIDGE CHURCH OF CHRIST FOR OFFERING TO SHELTER VICTIMS IF THIS HAD BEEN NEEDED.

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