BONNERTOWN, Tenn. (WZTV) — Homeowners in Bonnertown, Tennessee, in Lawrence County woke up in shock Monday morning after severe storms, followed by a tornado, tore through the area Sunday night.
Some residents said they barely slept as powerful winds, now confirmed to have been an EF-1 tornado, blew out windows, ripped off roofs, and scattered debris across properties.
Brianne Rohling said the devastation became clear when she stepped outside her home on W.W. Smith Road.
“It’s devastating once we got up finally this morning to see everything torn to pieces,” Rohling said.
Strong winds lifted a massive tree by its roots, a near miss from wiping out the side of her home, but still caused damage to her property.
“It blew off all the columns off of our front porch,” she said.
The storm also destroyed several items on her property.
“Our camper is completely totaled, our pontoon boat is completely totaled,” Rohling said. “Our horse actually got injured through the storm.”
Rohling said she barely made it to her storm shelter as the worst of the weather arrived.
“It was crazy to hear the wind and the hail hitting the windows,” she said.
Powerful winds, now confirmed to have been an EF-1 tornado, blew out windows, ripped off roofs, and scattered debris across properties. (Photo: FOX 17 News)
Her story is one of many across the Bonnertown community.
One 70-year-old woman, who did not want to appear on camera because she was still shaken, said she and her husband were inside their home when the storm hit. She said strong winds pushed them against the walls of their house.
The home was lifted off its base, and several windows were shattered.
Nearby, another home had an entire side wall ripped away, leaving bricks, debris, and exposed insulation peering out of what is left of the structure.
Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Bill Phillips said about 20 homes were damaged in the storm.
“It is pretty obvious that we have had a tornado, but we will wait on the National Weather Service to call that,” Phillips said.
As residents began assessing the damage, volunteers quickly arrived to help with cleanup, using chainsaws to remove fallen trees and debris.
“Making sure people can rebuild and get the help they need,” volunteer James Harrison said.
Despite the destruction, many residents say they are grateful for the support of their neighbors and thankful they survived.
“Our community helping us has been amazing,” Rohling said.
Just the sight of the destruction brought many to tears. Neighbors are praying that homeowners can have some peace.
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