Hendersonville tornado damage shuts down Main Street, minor injuries reported

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Most of the damage from the Hendersonville tornado is concentrated from the North side of Main Street.

City officials say only minor injuries have been reported, but several businesses have severe damage, as well as one neighborhood just off of Main Street. Power lines are down throughout the area, with city-wide power outages still impacting residents.

"Police, fire and public works have been working around the clock to clear roads and provide assistance. We will continue to use all available resources to help with debris removal. The City Codes Department is already out doing structural assessments to keep the public safe," a release from the city said.

Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary has declared a state of emergency in order to help coordinate a more efficient response to the damages from the tornado.

"The safety and well-being of our residents are our top priorities. The declaration of a state of emergency will enable us to marshal all necessary resources to respond effectively and efficiently to this crisis," Clary said. "Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected, and we are committed to providing the support and assistance needed during these challenging times."

Currently, New Shackle Island Road from Volunteer Dr. to Main St. is closed, and Main St. at Britton is as well, with officials anticipating they will be back open by morning.

"However, we are desperately encouraging everyone to stay off Main Street if possible. We have had extreme congestion that is delaying response crews," Hendersonville officials said.

Sky 5 flew over the damage with Heather Mathis in the video above.

Mayor of Sumner County John C. Isbell issued a state of emergency for Sumner County to keep people safe in the area while damage assessments continue.

"This will be a multi jurisdictional process and our team will work diligently to get the assessments done for disaster relief. We are a strong, resilient community and will emerge even stronger as we work together to clean and rebuild our community," Isbell said. "Continue to keep those impacted by the storms in your prayers; especially the families who experienced the loss of a loved one."

NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith lives in the Hendersonville area and gave us updates on the state of the damage Saturday night.

She says near Old Shackle and Main Street, there is a hole in the center of home of a woman who runs a medical office there. Then if you move Eastward, the north side of the street has a business called Big Play, with Pizza Ranch close by, both severely damaged.

Bree Smith

The tornado then continued across a small business called Acai Addiction, went behind it to a train track in town and further along the northern portion of Main street towards a Halloween and party supply store where the roof is completely caved in.

"Maybe 50 yards down the road is what used to be a Kroger — now an all air extreme — and a Walgreens, and behind that Walgreens is an automotive business where the roof almost looked like it was lifted off and wrapped around the side," Bree said. "You can tell that there are small business owners in this town that are just observing with shock and dismay at what's left of their structures."

The police have shut down most of Main Street, which has made traffic along Indian Lake and the Eastern portion of town as you approach the edge of Hendersonville and Gallatin very backed up.

NewsChannel 5's Hannah McDonald sent this photo Sunday morning of a Hendersonville road.

Hannah McDonald

Emergency personnel are active across the area monitoring the damage and encouraging people to stay off of the roads, if possible. The City Codes Department is doing structural assessments.

If you have questions about the damage, volunteering or anything involving the tornadoes, Hendersonville has an FAQ on their website.