People of Columbia Come Together To Help in Aftermath of Storm

Issue #082

09 May

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🌧 Columbia Weather - Scattered showers with a high of 84

🌪 Tornado Touches Down in Columbia

💪 People of Columbia Come Together To Help in Aftermath of Storm 

🧑‍🌾 Hardison Mill Opens a New Farmer’s Market on Saturday

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🌺 Have You Seen our Columbia Local Mother’s Day Guide? Grab it here! 

📌 Columbia’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details! 

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Thursday, May 9th

Friday, May 10th

Saturday, May 11th

Sunday, May 12th

Monday, May 13th

Tuesday, May 14th

Wednesday, May 15th

Thursday, May 16th

Friday, May 17th

Saturday, May 18th

Tuesday, May 21st

  • May Meeting of Marine Corps League LCPL Andrew P. Carpenter Detachment 1286 - All Marine, Navy veterans & spouses welcome. (Memorial Bldg, 308 West 7th) Email w/ any questions. - 6:00 PM

Tornado Touches Down in Columbia

A tornado touched down in Maury County yesterday off Bear Creek Pike, leading to one fatality, as reported by Maury County Regional Hospital. Additionally, four others sustained injuries as the confirmed tornado tore through eastern Columbia on Wednesday, while heavy storms affected other parts of Maury County and Middle Tennessee.

The tornado caused widespread damage, with trees down, roads blocked, and debris scattered across Bear Creek Pike, resulting in the closure of the road from Tom J. Hitch Parkway to Interstate 65, according to the Maury County Office of Emergency Management. The tornado's path also included Joe Brown Road, causing further disruption.

Jeff Hardy, the Director of the Maury County Office of Emergency Management, stated that emergency crews were on the ground assessing the damage and urged the public to stay clear of the affected areas. He also noted that more storms could be on the way, emphasizing the need for vigilance and caution as clean-up efforts continued. The road closures impacted local travel, and Maury County schools announced they would be closed on Thursday for the safety of students and staff.

The Office of Emergency Management warned residents to stay off the roads, mentioning that Cranford Hollow Road, off Bear Creek Pike, had damage to some structures, along with downed trees and power lines. Initial reports indicated that some cars had flipped, and people were trapped in their homes.

The National Weather Service in Nashville issued a tornado warning for parts of Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, and Hampshire around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, extending it to 6:15 p.m. when a tornado was confirmed in Columbia. This led to an influx of emergency calls, with Columbia Police reporting extensive damage on major roads, including Bear Creek Pike and Old Highway 99, in some cases blocking the entire roadway.

As the community began to address the aftermath of the tornado, emergency officials continued to caution residents to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel.

People of Columbia Come Together To Help in Aftermath of Storm

These are the times when you get the chance to see what a town is made of.

As soon as the tornado had passed, emergency workers had sprung into action and many people with chainsaws and heavy equipment made themselves available.

One look through the I Heart Columbia (Muletown) Facebook group and you’ll find heartbreaking stories of people who have been impacted by the storm but many neighbors generously offering to help in any way they can.

If you’d like to donate food, The Well Outreach is a great place to do that.

Bin Hunt is offering clothing to those in need: “If you were impacted by Wednesday's storms, we're offering free clothing from our bins this Thursday during our regular hours. If you need clothing, come by and take what you need. No questions asked.”

The Bridge Church posted this message: “If you need assistance because you’ve experienced damage from the storm, or if you know someone who has, go to bridge.tv/assistance so we can get a team assembled to help any way we can. If you want to sign up to find out ways to serve as damage is assessed and volunteer teams are allowed on the ground, you can also go to bridge.tv/assistance and we’ll reach out with opportunities as they come.” 

Cabin Coffee will be offering free coffee, Cokes, tea, and water tomorrow to any first responders, clean-up volunteers, or people affected by the storm. Please stop by and allow us to thank you for your help for those reaching out to our community. If you have been affected and need a smile/hug and a drink stop in! We are praying for our community!!

T.W. Lawncare is offering free help on Thursday. If you’d like to help them with labor, watch their page for details.

Taft Trucking & Excavating mentioned that they will be out there helping where it is needed on Thursday.

Connelly’s Land Management: “If anybody is in need of anything tomorrow please feel free to drop your address or give me a call or txt! No charge what so ever and I’m positive there are a lot more company’s already out and about willing to lend a helping hand!!” 

TN Landscaping Pros: “Me & some guys are going to be removing debris all day tomorrow to anyone in need of help from this horrible storm, please reach out asap if you or anyone one you know are needing a free hand!”

Fieldman Land Services will be available to help clear trees and roads on Thursday. Please message or text/call 615-241-6957.

**These are only a few of the offers to help from the Columbia community. If you need help, it’s not far away! Reach out to these businesses or take a look inside a local facebook group and you’ll be sure to find some assistance.

Maury County Office of Emergency Management is holding a press conference at 7am Thursday morning. There should be more details presented at that time. Check this page for details.

If you’re wanting to volunteer or give donations, we recommend checking with The City of Columbia, The Maury County Office of Emergency Management, The Columbia Fire Department and The Columbia Police Department. We expect they’ll have some guidance coming in that direction.

Hardison Mill Opens a New Farmer’s Market on Saturday

Starting Saturday, May 11th 2024, and running through the end of October on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Hardison Mill will be hosting a Farmers Market.

“We're excited to have friends and families from our community and beyond to come shop with vendors from our surrounding area.”

Local Folks and Local Products...

They'll be offering vegetables, fruits, meats, milk products, plant starts, flowers, honey, baked goods, jams & jellies, woodworking, and so much more...

If you have any questions or would like to be a vendor, reach them on their site.

8AM - 12PM
2nd & 4th Saturdays

Hardison Mill
4500 US-431
Columbia, TN

🎵 This Week’s Live Music 🎵

Credit: Experience Maury County

Columbia’s Best Kept Secret: Is Your Business One of Them? 

We ❤️ love local businesses!

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you're a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! "What’s Up Columbia!" is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our town. Let's collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special. Send us a message, and let's celebrate the spirit of Columbia together!

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