In the early hours of Tuesday morning, one or more tornadoes ripped through central Tennessee, touching down in Nashville and damaging homes and businesses in at least eight counties. The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed 22 deaths, and more than 200 people were hospitalized because of injuries sustained during the storm, according to a report on Weather.com.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has declared a state of emergency, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and about 43,000 customers were still without power late Tuesday afternoon, according to Nashville Electric Service.
The tragedy struck close to home for area truckers, as Nashville-based Western Express sustained heavy damage. A message posted on the company’s website, www.westernexp.com, asks that customers and drivers “be patient as we work through various communications, operating and administrative responses.”
Western Express chairman and CEO Paul Wieck issued the following statement:
“I’m extremely proud of our driving and nondriving associates for their proactive and positive responses to this event, and we are blessed that none of our people were injured. My heart goes out to those affected in greater Nashville. Our disaster-recovery plan is in effect. Backup servers are operational, trucks are on the road delivering freight, our fuel network is functioning properly, our payroll is taken care of, and we have personnel at our outlying locations managing planning and dispatch. We are extremely grateful for the expressions of support from colleagues, customers and key vendors, who have offered us freight, locations for shop and operations, and other support. We are determined to serve our customers, our team, and the families who were affected. Some buildings may be down, but Western Express is not.”
Numerous local and national organizations are organizing relief efforts for those affected by the storms.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Western EXPRESS is a Fly by night company. I see them as the Next Company to CLOSE in 2020.