City of Murfreesboro, TN 4/09 TORNADO

STORM REPORT:
Updated at 4:35 p.m., April 17, 2009

A week ago today, barely minutes after the noon hour, an EF4 tornado tore through portions for northwest Murfreesboro, killing two, injuring over 30 and leaving hundreds of homes and businesses either severely damaged or destroyed along with the dozens of families whose ways-of-life had in an instant changed forever.

"If you ever doubted the power of Mother Nature," one city emergency worker said as he surveyed the devastation, "all you have to do is see this ..."
Since the storm hit, city an county crews, along with private contractors, utility companies and a sea of volunteers, have made great progress removing debris left by the twister and are now concentrating on recovery.

The city today issued a set of questions and answers intended to provide information for those hit hardest. We hope it is helpful.

The latest damage estimates county-wide are 845 homes damaged, 117 being completely destroyed, according to a Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency (RCEMA) news release. Two hundred ninety eight homes sustained major damage, 175 had minor damage and 255 were impacted but habitable.

"The estimated cost to businesses and residents is currently placed at $41.8 million," Randy White, RCEMA spokesman said. These estimates will likely be updated, he said.

City officials are still urging affected homeowners to make sure and call their insurance companies before any demolition and to make sure yard waste (limbs, brush, trees, etc.) and construction debris are separated into distinct piles at the curb but off the pavement. Separate piles are necessary because they are taken to two separate locations for disposal; yard waste is trucked to the city's mulch site, 4765 Florence Rd. just behind Florence Station, and construction debris (no garbage) is hauled to Rutherford County's landfill at 6000 Landfill Rd. off Jefferson Pike. Both are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday until further notice.

"We're reminding people that during the emergency the normal mulch operation has been suspended and no mulch is being loaded," Solid Waste Director Joey Smith said.

By yesterday, crews from his department, Streets, Urban Environmental, the golf courses, Rutherford County, the Town of Smyrna and many, many others had removed just over 3,140 tons of debris from the roadside.

Smith, quick to credit others for the feat, reported as many as 175 trucks were on the road at the height of the removal, just at the city's mulch site, four trucks per minute were crossing the scales for a weigh-in.

Meantime, here is updated information from several departments involved in the disaster recovery:

Building and Codes Department:
Codes employees report they have completed their damage assessment of all buildings within the city. Of the structures in the city that were affected, the latest figures show 82 were totally destroyed; 197 had major damage; 156 had minor damage and 174 others were affected but habitable.

If a utility meter was pulled, homeowners must arrange an inspection with the Building and Codes Department before a reconnection will be permitted. The Codes Department is open regular hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and can be reached at 893-3750.

Both Building and Codes officials and those from the Better Business Bureau advise against giving money to a contractor until you have checked out the city license and Tennessee General Contractor's license. Here is more information about what to look for.

City Schools:
All City Schools are open regular schedule and bus routes have returned to regular routes.

Murfreesboro Electric Department
The department reported power was back on for all customers by this week. Department officials are warning owners whose homes were destroyed not to begin their cleanup until MED is contacted and any salvageable MED equipment removed. In order to have power reconnected, an inspection must be arranged through Murfreesboro Building and Codes at 893-3750 during regular working hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Atmos Gas:
Like electric service lines, some gas meters were pulled in the wake of the storm for safety reasons. Codes must inspect gas meters before the local gas distributor Atmost can reconnect the meter. Please call Codes at 893-3570 to arrange an inspection.

Debris Removal:
Both yard waste and construction debris removal continue. City, county and employees from the Solid Waste, Street, Urban Environmental, Water and Sewer, and Golf Departments, Town of Smyrna and private contractors were continuing to remove storm debris today. The Rutherford County Landfill, 6000 Landfill Rd. off Jefferson Pike, is open for disposal of construction debris only (no household garbage) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The large amount of debris being collected means several pickups may be necessary, often from the same address, Smith said. Normal garbage pickup has resumed but special pickup of bulk items has been temporarily discontinued to allow employees and vehicles to concentrate on tornado-damaged areas, Smith added, and regularly scheduled removal of yard waste has also been suspended.

Fire Department:
All fires and burns have been banned until further notice. This means all burning of storm debris. The large number of emergency vehicles and personnel in the affected areas means fire trucks would have difficulty reaching a fire that has spread.

Police Department:
Community safety and security remain the department's primary concern. Contractors are required to check in with the Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency (RCEMA) located at 1220 West College St., for a permit to be in the damage area.

The Police Department is operating on 12-hour shifts and has cancelled all days off.

All City of Murfreesboro offices are open during normal business hours this week but the city's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been closed.

City Water and Sewer Operations:

Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department reports that water, water pressure and sewer service remain fully safe and operational.

Cable Channel 3 and the city's web site:
This web site and government Cable Channel 3 are being updated frequently with the latest information. For more information on one very effective way to protect yourself from the ravages of severe weather, here are some simple suggestions.

Post Office:
Normal mail delivery has resumed -- if there is a mail box, that is. Residents may have mail forwarded to another address or held at either Post Office facility by completing a form at the Post Office if they have lost their delivery point. Other options include having mail re-routed to another location or held at the Post Office.

Please visit this web site frequently for updates and watch Cable Channel 3 for more information.
See the most recent update from Cable Channel 3.