By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
COOKEVILLE — Before the day was over on March 4 nearly 3,000 volunteers gathered in Putnam County to clear debris and help local residents begin their long road to recovery in the aftermath of a deadly tornado which swept through Middle Tennessee in the early morning hours of March 3.
Similar numbers were out among those affected in other counties in Tennessee, primarily Davidson and Wilson counties.
The latest death toll is 24 people in four counties (Davidson, Benton, Wilson and Putnam). Putnam was the hardest hit with 18 fatalities. Numerous people are still unaccounted for. NBC News reported that it is the second deadliest tornado in Tennessee history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center. Twisters killed 38 people in Tennessee on March 22, 1952, according to the NBC News report. [Read more…]