MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two days later, communities touched by the tornadoes are still hurting.
In Maury County, one of the areas hit hardest, many were saved by the wreckage of their homes by firefighters or family.
Austin Darnell, a Maury County volunteer firefighter, helped rescue eight people near Blackburn Lane in Columbia.
"All we saw was trees down and people screaming for help," he said.
He said his team was able to save a family of six trapped inside their home.
"They were just hugging each other. It was a good moment to know we were actually able to make a difference in that situation," he said.
He was also there when they pulled two women out of a damaged trailer that had flown hundreds of feet. One woman was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. The other woman, we now know as Cheryl Lovett, didn't make it.
He says it wouldn't have been possible without the help of his team and a multitude of neighboring counties and agencies jumping in to help.
"Nobody flinched, nobody blinked, we just did our job, did what we were supposed to do," said Darnell.
"They're lifesavers," added a Maury County resident, David White.
