Crews remove downed trees in Midtown after the Tom Lee Storm.
The high winds that tore through Memphis and Shelby County on Memorial Day weekend are still impacting the area, but a new group here may help residents be more ready for the next big storm.
Officially termed a derecho (a Spanish term for “straight ahead”), a line of thunderstorms bore down on Memphis from the northeast bringing with it winds of up to 65-80 miles per hour.
The wind speeds made the storm weaker than 2003’s Hurricane Elvis, according to Dr. Dorian J. Burnette, assistant professor of Earth sciences at the University of Memphis. As for power outages, the Memorial Day weekend storm ranked third behind Hurricane Elvis and an ice storm in 1994, Burnette said.
By the time it was over, the “Tom Lee Storm” (named so because the winds knocked over the obelisk that once stood in Tom Lee Park) had caused $15 million in damages.
Last month, the Memphis/Shelby County Recovery Initiative met for the very first time to begin work on future disaster response here. The Iniative is a collective of volunteer organizations, faith-based groups, state and local government agencies, Shelby County leaders, and private partners.
The group aims to connect all its different partners so that the next time a disaster event, like the Tom Lee Storm, strikes, they are ready to offer financial support, aid in case management, volunteer management, construction management, emotional and spiritual care, and leadership.
Crews are still cleaning up after the Tom Lee Storm, according to the Shelby County Office of Preparedness. However, Tuesday, August 15, is the last day county crews will pick up storm debris in unincorporated Shelby County. For more information, call the Shelby County Roads and Bridges Department at (901) 222-7705.
Photo by Shelby County Office of Preparedness
Crews remove trees from the home of Chris Edwards and his family in Frayser.
One Frayser family got some unexpected help after the storm knocked down trees on their property. Chris Edwards and his family had no insurance nor the funds to clean up the damage.
Their calls for help reached Steve Shular, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s Action Center Director. Shular called Woodland Tree Service and their crews removed the downed trees. Also offering assistance were Shular and members of the Shelby County Office of Preparedness (SCOP).
