In the early morning hours of Tuesday (March 3), a storm produced a tornado that tore through Nashville and middle Tennessee. Dozens of structures were damaged, and according to WBIR, the current death toll sits at 24.
As daylight broke, country artists rushed to social media to let their fans know they were safe. They also shared prayers and words of support for the people of their beloved city.
Some artists, such as Carrie Underwood, were out of town at the time the storm struck. She was traveling in NYC to promote her new book, but her husband, Mike Fisher, and their two sons, had to seek shelter during the storm.
Carrie relayed her family’s experience during an interview with TODAY.
Carrie Underwood talks about her husband and kids being in Nashville when the tornado hit last night.
"He said he had to go upstairs at 2am and grab the boys to take them down (to) a little safe room in our house. I bet everyone was crying." pic.twitter.com/Ny8Yy5b8Uj
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 3, 2020
Other artists, such as Maren Morris, RaeLynn, and Cam, were home at the time of the storm. Cam recalled how she had to wake up her two-month-old daughter, Lucy, and take her to a safe place while the tornado passed through.
Thankfully, Cam, Carrie, Maren, RaeLynn, and their families are all fine, and so are their homes. But others weren’t as lucky.
Others like Dierks Bentley‘s drummer, Steve Misamore, whose house was destroyed by the storm. Dierks shared a video showcasing the damage to Steve’s house.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9TD_yxh2FL/
But even though the tornado happened in Nashville, celebrities from all corners of the globe have expressed their support for Music City.
One such celebrity who took the time to show some love to Nashville was Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Dog generally splits his time between Colorado and Hawaii, but was in Nashville earlier this year. He appeared at the Fan Fest convention that was held in the city in January, and stopped to pose for photos with fans.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B69LlFugLVu/
After being in Nashville just two months ago, Dog was surely shocked to see how the tornado damaged the city and the surrounding area.
On Instagram, Dog posted a series of photos that showcase the damage caused by the tornado. The post he shared was a repost, so it contained the original poster’s words along with his own message.
That message, which was short and sweet, made it clear that Nashville is weighing heavy on Dog’s mind right now.
“sending out thoughts and prayers to Nashville and to all affected by the tornadoes #nashvillestrong,” he wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9TXQZ0Ayo3/
Dog wrote an even shorter message on Twitter, and included no photos. But his short message made it clear how much he cares about the people of Nashville, as it read, “sending prayers and [love] out to Nashville today.”
He later shared a video illustrating more of the tornado’s destruction, and once again stated that his prayers were with Music City.
we send out our thoughts and prayers to the people of Nashville #nashvilletornado2020 #nashvillestrong https://t.co/kKgug27aly
— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) March 4, 2020
We too, join Dog in praying for the people of Nashville.
If you’d like to help with the tornado relief, here are a few things you can do:
- If you live in the area, the Community Resource Center (CRC) is in need of the following items: trash bags, paper towels, work gloves, cleaning supplies, bleach, box cutters, personal hygiene items, and baby diapers.
- You can volunteer your time through Hands on Nashville by visiting this link.
- The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has established an emergency fund to help with relief efforts. You can make a donation to the fund here.
- Monetary donations can also be made through The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties by texting RELIEF2020 to 41444 or by visiting this website.
#NashvilleStrong