Dierks Bentley Had a Close Call With the Storm That Produced Devastating Nashville Tornadoes
Just before a devastating tornado touched down in Nashville early on Tuesday morning (March 3), wreaking massive damages on the East Nashville and Germantown areas of the city, Dierks Bentley had a close call with the storm.
The singer was flying into Nashville's John C. Tune Airport, on the northwest side of the city, at around 11:30PM on Monday night (March 2). He describes the experience on Twitter, adding that his plane managed to land just before the tornado began to severely impact the area.
"We ducked around this cell and landed at John Tune airport around 11:30 last night," Bentley writes. "Glad we landed when we did. Wouldn't have been good an hour later. It was the cell that turned into the tornado."
As daylight rose, Nashville ABC affiliate WKRN posted footage of the damage the airport incurred, which, the news outlet reported, was estimated to be in the millions. A birds-eye view reveals extensive wreckage over the area, including destroyed hangars and airplanes and cars piled up.
While Bentley is an experienced pilot known to fly his own plane, it isn't clear whether or not the country star was the one helming the aircraft that landed in Nashville just before the tornado struck. In addition to reflecting on his close call, he shared aerial footage of the storms he saw from his plane before landing.
In a Facebook post, the singer revealed that his drummer, Steve Misamore, lost his home to the tornado, and he explained that he'd be keeping the rest of those affected in his thoughts. "Lot of people lost their homes," Bentley writes. "No one comes together as a city like Nashville does."
The story is still developing, but the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has reported 19 fatalities as of 10AM local time. Two of those who lost their lives to the tornado are East Nashville residents.
According to the Tennesseean, more than 40 buildings collapsed, with many others sustaining damages. Among the buildings wrecked by the storm is beloved East Nashville music hotspot the Basement East, which is located in the hard-hit Five Points neighborhood.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has set up a fund for victims of the tornado; to donate, visit CFMT.org. Hands on Nashville, the Red Cross and other organizations are also organizing donations and volunteers, according to the Tennessean.
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