MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- It's been one year since tornadoes tore through several Middle Tennessee counties, with the strongest one hitting Maury County.

The EF-3 tornado that struck Maury County on May 8, 2024, killed a great-grandmother, injured a dozen other people, and damaged roughly 250 homes.

Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt told News there's still "work to be done" in the community’s recovery. However, she and others who spoke to News 2 on the one-year anniversary of the storm said it also serves as a great reminder. 

"We feel a sense of sadness when we see some beautiful wooded areas that will never be the same. But they are a reminder," Butt wrote. "A reminder of the time we needed help and we helped one another. A reminder that life changes. A reminder that we are not in control. A reminder that nature is powerful. And a reminder that we are resilient!"

One man who worked directly with victims said the storm was a shock for residents, adding that recovery will last several more years. 

"It was scary. To see that happen in our own community, it was challenging on many fronts," said Maury County Director of Emergency Management Jeff Hardy. "There’s still citizens out there that are picking up trees and debris from their property. It’s a long-term recovery."

Hardy said it had been "a very long time" since Maury County was hit by a tornado of last year's magnitude. While community members have made "tremendous progress" in their cleanup efforts, Hardy told News 2 that it’s important to learn from what happened on May 8, 2024.  

"In the last month or so, we had two more tornadoes touch down here in Maury County. In fact, one hit my house, so I really want to implore our citizens and our visitors to be weather aware, to have a plan in place on what they’re going to do when that time comes, because it’s not if, it’s when," he said.

Following last year's tornado, Maury County established a new Long Term Recovery Group to assist victims. It consists largely of volunteers and is led by a committee of local nonprofit directors, including the director of The Well Outreach, Shelly Sassen.

"I think what we all found out is that a crisis like this can happen right where we live...I think our community didn’t know how to react, but we came together," Sassen said. 

Hardy said a siren system, which they're working on getting installed in Columbia, is a top priority. He hopes that will be completed in the next few months. 

However, Hardy stressed that Maury County residents can't solely trust sirens, and that precautions must be layered. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/one-year-later-looking-at-maury-countys-recovery-following-deadly-tornado/