Country and gospel musician Rusty Golden, a native of Nashville, the capital of the US state of Tennessee, who is currently on an annual visit to Bahrain, today spoke of his heartbreak at the devastating damage caused to his beloved homeland.
A series of devastating tornadoes ripped through the region on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, flattening buildings and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power.
“As soon as I heard about the tornadoes, I spoke to my family and checked my social media to see what was going on. Around 95 per cent of my family and friends are on Facebook so luckily they’ve been posting that they’re OK. However, some of the people they know weren’t so lucky.
“I’m monitoring the situation extremely closely.”
The death toll, provided by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, may rise given the number of people who remain missing across the state, warned Governor William Lee.
Rescue teams were going door-to-door, searching damaged structures for trapped or injured individuals, the Nashville Fire Department said.
At least 30 people were injured and more than 50 buildings were destroyed, with many more damaged.
Rusty’s family home, which was built before the American Civil War, was hit hard by a 2007 tornado.
“It always pains me to see the devastation these things can cause,” he said. “Even if people are physically OK, it’s like a warzone out there. Many people and business lack power or can’t get round because there are buildings, trees and emergency services lining the roads.
“The TV footage shows you how quickly an area can be turned to rubble. This tornado hit just five minutes from downtown and has caused damage stretching 200 miles."
Videos posted on social media showed lightning that accompanied the tornado lighting up the darkened sky as the storm rumbled through central Nashville.
At daybreak, video footage on local television revealed levelled houses and crumbled businesses in Nashville, a city of 691,000.
Crushed vehicles, piles of debris and power lines snapped in two were strewn about, and rescue vehicles blocked streets as residents carried their belongings away from their destroyed homes.
The police department in the Mt. Juliet suburb east of Nashville reported multiple homes damaged and people injured.
Local police captain Tyler Chandler said: “This was obviously a very strong tornado. There are multiple homes damaged, multiple people injured, multiple people still trapped.”
President Donald Trump said on Twitter: “Prayers for all of those affected by the devastating tornadoes in Tennessee. We will continue to monitor the developments.”
The twister knocked down power lines, and one utility pole dangled horizontally in the street in the Donelson area, home to country music’s most famous concert stage, the Grand Ole Opry.
Nashville Electric, the city's public utility, said there were more than 44,000 customers without power, with reported damage to four substations, 15 primary distribution lines and multiple power poles and lines.
John C. Tune Airport (JWN), located eight miles from downtown Nashville, sustained significant damage and several hangars were destroyed, the airport said on its website.
The National Weather Service said there were eight reported tornadoes that touched down in Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Rusty, 60, is considered part of ‘country music royalty’ and can boast five No 1 records, two of which were named ‘Song Of The Year’, a Grammy Awards nomination as well as a Songwriter of the Year accolade, and he calls Bahrain ‘his second home’.
His father, William Lee, is a member of the Oak Ridge Boys who have sold more than 42 million records, including the classic Elvira, and his brother Chris has been voted Country Gospel’s Male Vocalist of the Year.
- Rusty is currently performing at Big Texas Barbeque & Waffle House inside Best Western Plus - The Olive Hotel in Juffair every evening from Thursday through to Sunday.
