Governor Bill Lee assesses tornado damage in Hamilton County

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) – Sunday night an EF-3 tornado roared through Hamilton County.

Since the severe weather 2 people have lost their lives, 17 people hospitalized, and over 100 buildings damaged.

For those affected clean up started bright and early Tuesday morning.

FEMA, TEMA, our local mayors, and Governor Bill Lee walked through some of Hamilton County’s most devastated areas on Tuesday.

After Governor Bill Lee toured Hamilton County’s most damaged areas, he stopped by Wilson Air Center to talk about how he assessed the damage and what our next steps were.

“We believe by tomorrow afternoon the damage assessments will be done. Then, I will be able to declare a major disaster declaration from the president. Upon that declaration announcement, then the process of providing assistance will begin,” says Governor Bill Lee.

Governor Lee says we have been through a lot of devastation in the past few years but this one is being handled differently due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“The traditional American Red Cross Shelters are in a gymnasium or church. We are utilizing hotels so that people can individually stay in rooms and be socially distant and protected from other victims,”says Governor Bill Lee.

He also ask that everyone continues to wear the proper personal protective equipment throughout the clean up process.

Mayor Jim Coppinger says the recovery process will take a while but he’s proud of how supportive the community has been.

“We are very resilient here in Hamilton County. We have endured these types of events and these tragedies in the past. We will bounce back and we will overcome this,”says Mayor Jim Coppinger.

Officials ask everyone to avoid the affected areas to allow for first responders to continue to work through the destruction.