From tragedy came hope.
“On March 11, 1932, a tornado hit DeKalb County, Tennessee, tearing down the Mt. Herman Church, leaving only the floor. The roof had been lifted off and moved to the side, so the church held services under this roof until it was rebuilt. During the tornado of 1932, many homes and barns in the Cross Roads community were destroyed,” wrote www.dekalbtennessee.com.
“There have been more than 80 tornadoes that have touched down in DeKalb County, since weather records have been kept,” wrote the National Weather Service recently in Nashville. Furthermore, “DeKalb County, Tennessee is a very high-risk area for tornadoes,” wrote www.homefacts.com.
With spring eventually arriving following a very cold and unsettled winter, the stage is set for the multiplication of tornadic activity, especially in the southern states – DeKalb County included. Of collaborating evidence was the recent tornadoes and unsettled weather that penetrated and damaged the Smithville area last Monday, May 6, 2024. Ironically, it occurred while in the midst of writing this newspaper article.
Again, and more piteously, this new tornadic addition occurred on Monday, May 6, 2024 and was a radar, naked eye and photographed detected tornado. From the local WJLE website, “A tornado touched down Monday afternoon causing structure damage and downed utility lines - mainly on Allen’s Ferry Road and North Congress Boulevard (Highway 56 North). No serious injuries were reported.”
Later Tuesday, (the following day), the “National Weather Service confirmed EF1 tornado damage in DeKalb County from Monday’s storm.” Within the context of the tornado, numerous trees were broken, snapped, and uprooted along the targeted roads. Several farm buildings lost roofing. The worst damage was along Highway 56 north of Smith Road; then lifting east of the highway. The house belonging to Polly Payne was destroyed at this location.
“At their peak, wind speeds reached 100 miles per hour,” said News Channel 5 reporters in Nashville. “The path of the tornado was 3.3 miles and the width was 150 yards.” The EF1 tornado range is the smallest rated storm by the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which determines and verifies a tornado’s intensity and size. Yep – it was a small one with huge ramifications.
Furthermore, and within this same realm, there has been no categorizing of what constitutes the most dangerous or the most destructive tornado to grace the county’s mountainous land acreage. Comparatively, it seems each touch down constitutes a major destructive landfall in some manner and time. It is somewhat verified by the five varied tornadoes listed below, which landed in DeKalb County throughout the years – 1928, 1932, 1971 and 2024. The Dowelltown tornado of 1974 also must be included.
For future clarity, an unpredicted and unnamed tornado landed on March 11, 1932 and moved the Everett Morgan (TY) Parker’s house from its foundation to another location within the same vicinity. It joins a growing list of more severe storms that have touched down in and around DeKalb County throughout the years of record-keeping. Categorically, these cumulative records are, and have been, kept by the National Weather Service in Tennessee.
In continuation and for additional clarity, the unwelcome local storm picked up and moved the Parker’s two-story white framed house a few feet and dropped it to the ground while the five family members remained inside. The antiquated house is still standing today and once belonged to TY and Clara Cantrell Parker, my maternal grandparents, via Sallie Parker Foutch. No one was injured within this family of five. Just mentally terrified.
On March 11, 1932, this same unnamed tornado destroyed the Hayes School on Holmes Creek. The tragedies were manganous – killing four school children and injuring the teacher, Grady Carter, who survived and later continued teaching, county historian, Thomas G. Webb continued.
In a recent interview with Billie Ann Parker, she fondly remembered the family’s storm cellar located in the yard of their Old Sparta Highway frame house. “It was made of concrete and had chairs inside.” Ironically, the Parker children (Sallie (Mom), Jack, and Billie Ann) were never fearful of thunderstorms. This trait was non-inherited. After my grandfather Parker would escort the three children (Peggy had not been born) to the cellar to join my grandmother (per her instructions), he would journey back into the house, head into his bedroom, and fall fast asleep. Once the skies cleared, the once-gathered family would journey back through the rain water into the house, personally escorted by my maternal grandfather.
An F-3 tornado descended in DeKalb and Wilson Counties in April, 1971 around 8:35 p.m. It caused $150,000 damage (the price then). “A tornado skipped down in various sections of the two counties, specifically Prosperity, Tennessee and Liberty. It cut a path 300 yards wide and 600 yards long. At Prosperity, the damage included eight houses, two large barns, and a large brick church, while one house was unroofed. Trees and utilities suffered extensive damage, while golf-ball-sized hail damaged cars, etc.” Again, the above information was provided by the National Weather Service. With the aforementioned tornado, there were no deaths and three injuries. In the latest tornado, there were no deaths and only one minor injury.
“Throughout the years, tornadoes have struck various parts of DeKalb County (sic)” causing tremendous and everlasting damages and memories,” continued Webb.
Lest we forget, the horrendous Dowelltown tornado, which occurred on April 3, 1974. Many persons were injured and one person was killed. Today, it still holds vivid tragic memories for the townspeople and for the families.
Moving to March 23, 2011, an EF1 tornado (measures wind speed) was sighted in DeKalb County, Tennessee by the National Weather Service. Their summary follows, “Damage consisted of hundreds of trees being uprooted or snapped along a nearly continuous path. Several homes suffered significant roof damage, along with a couple of barns and outbuildings being destroyed. The tornado clipped the far southwestern tip of Smith County as it moved into DeKalb County. The tornado moved across the north side of Alexandria, where tree and roof damage were noted. The last evidence of damage was along Lower Helton Road, two miles east of Alexandria.
Last Monday, I received a telephone call alerting me to the fact that a tornado had touched down in DeKalb County. In rapid succession, another phone call alerted me to another possible tornado on Wednesday. The calls had been generated from the National Weather Service in Nashville, Tennessee. The Parker family had no such luxury.
In conclusion, Bobby Boyd of the National Weather Service remembered in this Overview: “I was working the National Weather Service radar on the evening of April 27, 1971 when a weak cool front moved down into northern Middle Tennessee. A cell developed just southeast of the office and rapidly intensified into a supercell about 12 miles southeast of the office (located at the Nashville airport). This was the only storm I had on the radar at the time and I could see the hook-echo. The tornado struck a community in far southeast Wilson County by the name of Prosperity. It damaged a home that had been built in the early 1800’s. I went on a storm survey the next day. There was sheet metal all around and one piece was up in the power lines. An eye-witness described the tornado as ‘glowing orange’ as it approached.” So, the tornado touchdowns in DeKalb County of 1928, 1932, 1971, 2011, and 2024 now can join the Dowelltown tornado of 1974.
Cumulatively, there have been “80 historic tornado events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found near or in DeKalb County, Tennessee,” wrote the NWS recently.
The months with the highest tornadic activity in the United States are now each month (12) of each calendar year. This is proven most prevalent in the southern states, Tennessee included.
Kathy Brewer (Hilton) Conger said it best following last week’s tornado: “DeKalb County was extremely lucky on Monday. Several families received damages to their homes, outbuildings, and property. I would like to thank everyone who helped that day. Everything you have heard about a tornado is true – the sounds – the pressure change – and how fast everything changes in minutes…The tornado hit and it hit fast. Monday made me realize how unprepared I am in many ways. Being thankful is an understatement…”
God did not promise that we will never experience storms; but He has promised He will be with us during them.” The Parker family lived up to His promise.
