The devastating tornadoes that ripped through Tennessee on Saturday have resulted in the displacement of roughly 250 U.S. Army families at Fort Campbell, which is located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
An Army spokesperson told Military.com Sunday that 250 Army families located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, were displaced by the tornadoes that resulted in widespread destruction of entire communities in the region and left at least six dead in Tennessee. Fort Campbell is the military base for the 101st Airborne Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
According to Military.com, Clarksville, which is located outside of Fort Campbell, experienced a 150-mph tornado Saturday, which caused significant damage in the community. According to the City of Clarksville’s Facebook page, at least 271 homes and buildings received “major damage” to the point of being “uninhabitable,” while over 400 other buildings received minor or moderate damage.
While Fort Campbell had not reported any fatalities among the military base’s personnel or families and had only reported one injury linked to the base, approximately 1,100 soldiers and family members were left without services such as electricity, heat, or water. A military spokesperson told Military.com that the utilities impacted by the tornadoes could take over a week to repair.
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“Our community has been hard hit by tragedy this year, and it is humbling to see our community come together again and again despite it all,” Col. Chris Midberry, Fort Campbell’s garrison commander, told Military.com. “We are honored to be a part of this community, we thank you for your support, and we will continue to support you as well.”
According to Military.com, Fort Campbell, the tornadoes did not appear to cause significant damage to the base; however, each of the buildings on the military base have continued to assess the damage and the impact of the tornadoes.
According to the Army’s website, Fort Campbell’s YMCA is currently providing soldiers and military families who were impacted by the tornadoes with clothes, toiletry items, diapers, and other necessities.
“I hope all those soldiers are safe after the tornado hit Clarksville,” Michael Grinston, the Army’s Emergency Relief Fund’s director, stated on LinkedIn. “Remember, if soldiers need help, reach out to AER.”
In an announcement posted Sunday on the Army’s website, Fort Campbell noted that only Mission Essential Soldiers would be required to report for work on Monday due to the “impacts” on the soldiers and families who were “off-post.”
