COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The March 3, 2020 tornado was the worst on record to affect Putnam County.
The vicious storm hit in the middle of the night, and some people just didn't have a chance to get to safety.
There were 19 people killed in the storm. Most of them lived in the same Cookeville neighborhood and on the same street, Hensley Drive. When it hit the subdivision, the EF4 was spinning at 175 miles per hour.
In memory of the victims, 19 trees were planted, and Hope Park was established at the corner of Hensley Drive and McBroom Chapel Road.
19 trees. One for each of the people the Cookeville E-4 tornado took away on March 3, 2020. This is “Hope Park.” The memorial remembers those people.
— Hannah McDonald (@HannahMcDonald) March 3, 2025
I remember that night vividly and the shock that one storm could cause so much destruction. Still in awe. @nc5 pic.twitter.com/DXEoDXHtkg
"I know that when people woke up the next morning in Cookeville, it was like, the debris in your yard was almost like confetti. Not having watched the news [yet], it was like where did this come from?" said Jim Woodford, a resident.
We visited Algood Diner to talk to people about the five years since the string of strong tornadoes slammed Middle Tennessee.
In total, 25 people were killed in the mid-state alone, and recovery from the damage is still ongoing in many areas.
It started in Benton County, where one person was killed.
In Middle Tennessee, what may have been the most destructive twister touched down at John C. Tune Airport, a path that stretched for 60 miles. But it wasn't just the airport. Homes, churches, and businesses were destroyed, and two more people died when the tornado hit a bar in East Nashville.
Next in its path was Donelson, Hermitage, and Wilson County, where three lives were lost, as well as hundreds and hundreds of homes and four schools.
The deadliest and strongest tornado was the one that struck Cookeville.
The storm's wrath was a topic of conversation at the diner, specifically how the twisters ripped families apart.
"They don't have no respect for people whenever it hits," said Ray Jones, who also recalls the 1974 tornado outbreak that killed 38 people in the Upper Cumberland Region. "When it hits, it hits."
Incredibly, what people in the diner said stands out most about March 3, is the support and strength people offered one another after the storm.
"Like I had never seen it. They asked for volunteers to go into a shopping center. The shopping center was full the next day. Nobody was asking what their politics or religion was. It was, 'What can I do to help?'" Woodford said.
The storm changed Cookeville, but in many ways, it made it stronger.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
Shred the gnar with Patrick - the snowboarding lawyer that will remind you not to take things too seriously! His cheeky, cheerful attitude is contagious. His only complaint? The lack of chairlifts at the Tennessee State Capitol of course. Watch his story for an instant pick-me-up on a frigid day.
-Rebecca Schleicher
