EF-2 tornado injures 20, damages 30 structures in McMinn County

UPDATE 9 PM WEDNESDAY: In response to the McMinn County tornado, United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties has established a fund to help local victims.

All donations will be distributed locally, according to the agency.

You can give by mobile device by texting MCMINNSTORMS to 41444.

Also, checks can be mailed to PO Box 1681, Athens, TN 37371. You can also drop them off at the United Way office at 313 Church St. in Athens.

UPDATE 3:45 P.M. WEDNESDAY: An EF-2 tornado touched down in McMinn County around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, injuring 20 people and causing damage to 30 structures.

One bright spot in the midst of the damage - a baby was born early Wednesday.

"In one of the hardest hit areas, at one of our hardest hit homes, a new child came into the world. A baby was born at the local hospital, and that family's house had been destroyed," McMinn County Mayor John Gentry said during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.

Gentry said the mother was thrown from the home in the storm, and made it to the hospital safely. Mother and baby are doing well.

"So we had 20 injured and one brand new life" in McMinn County, Gentry said.

Of the 20 injured, three to four were transported to other hospitals for higher levels of care. The others have been released.

One firefighter was injured, but is expected to be ok.

The National Weather Service said the tornado was an EF-2 with estimated wind speeds of 130 miles per hour. The tornado was about 200 yards wide, and covered a path of about 11-and-a-half miles, according to the NWS.

The tornado developed near the intersection of County Road 700 and 705. A covered walkway was destroyed on South Jackson Street. The most significant damage was along Old Athens Madisonville Road where there was "catastrophic damage" to a few mobile homes, the NWS said.

Red Cross shelters have been set up at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church, 600 W Madison Ave, Athens, and Polk County High School in Benton. The shelters also have clean-up kits for residents whose homes have been damaged.

Officials are asking people to stay away from storm-damaged areas, specifically County Roads 700, 439, 372, 422 and 451, as well as South Jackson Street, State Highway 30 and State Highway 307 in Athens.

McMinn County Fire Chief Scott Thompson said about 11 volunteer fire departments assisted in recovery efforts. A search and rescue team from the Chattanooga Fire Department also arrived Wednesday morning to assist.

Some of the fire crews that were assisting in McMinn County had been helping fire fighting efforts in Gatlinburg earlier this week.

"It's been a tough couple weeks for East Tennessee, but I can't think of any area in the country that can handle it any better. And if there's any part that's going to come back stronger, it will be this area," Gentry said.

PREVIOUS STORY: A spokesperson with the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in McMinn County on Wednesday morning.

NWS spokesperson Anthony Cavallucci said the worst area hit was the Deerfield Estates. The area is inaccessible even for NWS crews as of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Citing the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, WRCB reports two people died in a Polk County due to the storms. TEMA said a husband and wife were killed there, and two others were injured.