Courtesy Photo | This is an aerial view taken Dec. 10, 2023, of the damage sustained to the Electronic...... read more read more
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HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 25, 2024) – In the wake of a tornado last month that skirted Old Hickory Dam, an extensive recovery is underway to restore communications and rebuild after the twister walloped indiscriminately with its 125 mph winds.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials report that the tornado passed over the project Dec. 9, 2023, and damaged the exterior of the hydropower plant, tore the roof off the Electronic Service Section Building on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake, then demolished several picnic shelters and uprooted a slew of hardwood trees at Rockland Recreation Area.
“Approximately 80 percent of the area took a direct hit and 50 percent or more of its trees are on the ground,” said Dylon Anderson, Old Hickory Lake resource manager. “Two shelters are a complete loss, and another large shelter is severely damaged. Network and electrical outages are still ongoing as well.”
For public safety, Power Plant Road and Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake remain closed to the public due to the extent of damage and devastation. The nature trail and tailwater access area also took a direct hit, which caused damage to signage, boardwalk, and portions of asphalt.
It will likely be months before the Corps of Engineers can safely reopen the area. The team is working on a plan to hopefully reopen the boat ramp in the late February or early March timeframe, but the rest will take longer to fund and contract for necessary clearing and rebuilding
According to the National Weather Service, the EF-2 tornado moved through Madison, across Old Hickory Lake and the Cumberland River into Hendersonville, and then Gallatin, Tennessee.
Chris Campbell, Maintenance supervisor at Old Hickory Powerplant, said after the tornado hit, the first action involved making sure employees at the dam were safe.
There are five operators, five electricians, five mechanics, two maintenance workers, one admin assistant, and the superintendent that work together to generate hydropower to the local region. Luckily, only Will Garner, powerplant operator, was in the facility when the tornado hit. He wasn’t hurt. Shortly after the storm passed, John Bell and Campbell arrived, and they worked together to stand down the power production to further assess the switchyard and regain a connection to the electrical grid working with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The powerplant suffered damage to the lobby, hydropower classroom and instructor office, and smaller locations at the dam. All of the government vehicles were also damaged.
More teammates responded shortly after that night to assist with securing the facility. Jake Kennedy, Jon Stinson, Lee Kipke, Scott McFarland, and Cecil Chestnut all drove through the aftermath of the damage to secure and board up the lobby windows, close and secure the broken assembly bay doors, and inspect and clean up to resume normal operations.
Campbell said in the days that followed, the team and hydropower training students continued to assess damage, and made necessary temporary repairs to the walls to protect the facility from the elements until more permanent repairs can be made. The staff also cleared debris from the parking area and replaced spillway bridge deck plates that were out of position, and made minor repairs to the switchyard.
“We also performed temporary repairs to damaged structures at the project. We assessed and made temporary repairs to a small auxiliary power substation that is used for the Resource Manager’s Office and worked with the ESS staff to help collect vital equipment and records in their area,” Campbell added. “Everyone was eager and willing to do what had to be done and did not sit back and wait for others to carry the load. Ideas were exchanged and vetted in order to accomplish the task at hand.”
Skylar Holloway, ESS chief, described the damage to their building as “catastrophic.”
“None of the building will be salvageable,” Holloway said. “Luckily, the garage portion where most of our specialized test equipment was stored had an intact roof so we were able to salvage equipment and maintain full functionality for the district. We were also able to salvage from the wreckage the filing cabinets containing hydropower test reports going back over 70 years.”
The ESS mission involves supporting the nine hydropower plants and 28 hydropower units in the Cumberland River Basin with routine
maintenance and testing. The subject matter experts at ESS also support other districts with hydropower related issues. About half of the staff also maintain security systems and cameras at Corps of Engineers dams and navigation locks.
Immediately after the storm, Holloway reported to work, but had to drive around downed trees and power lines. He expressed shock when he first saw the condition of the building.
“It looked as if the tornado had picked the roof up and set it on the entrance gate,” Holloway recalled. “The front of the building had been torn down exposing the rooms inside. It looked like a doll house that you could peer into. Chairs were still around the break table in the kitchen and items were still on the desk of the engineer’s office next to it. The lake side of the building had all the windows blown out and a support beam had been pulled down into the conference room.”
Holloway said 13 people work in the building, but the tornado hit the building in darkness with nobody inside. Personnel responded to the situation and helped salvage equipment, and then moved their operations to a temporary location.
“I am very thankful that no one was at the office that day. We hope to build back stronger and make the best of this situation,” Holloway added.
The tornado affected communications at the dam, lock operations center, and nearby visitor’s center, and restoring this capability remains a top priority.
Kevin Gatlin, Nashville District’s Natural Disaster Program manager, said while the district worked at the request of FEMA to provide debris technical assistance to support the state of Tennessee for response and recovery efforts in four affected counties, they were also able to set up a Mobile Communications Vehicle at Old Hickory Dam. The team set up the Deployable Tactical Operations System next to the powerplant where it could support the restoration of communications for all areas affected by the outage.
“We were able to provide the MCV since the project provided the labor for the team members supporting the vehicle and they had a way to connect the shore power to the vehicle for it to have power,” Gatlin said. “Otherwise, they would have had to provide fuel to run a generator as well. The unit will stay in place until the project no longer needs its service.”
The Nashville District has requested supplemental funding to initially identify all recovery tasks and to build a comprehensive list of damages and cost estimates to support contracts for debris removal and repair or replacement of the facilities affected by the tornado.
Area Manager Freddie Bell said it’s too early to talk total dollars and cents, but the recovery will require numerous contracts that exceed the district’s routine operating budget. Nonetheless, the team is responding to the recovery, and supporting missions all around Old Hickory Lake to prepare for the upcoming recreation season.
“Our team at Old Hickory Lake is resilient and ready to continue supporting our missions through the recovery period. We will continue to generate power, lock boats, and provide visitor assistance at all remaining recreation areas not impacted by the tornado,” Bell said.
Nashville District’s Chief of Operations Tim Fudge said the team at Old Hickory Dam and Lake never missed a beat and have maintained operability throughout this challenging time.
“Our team is focused on accurately assessing the post-storm damage,” Fudge said. “We are actively seeking supplemental funding to complete detailed planning and scoping of recovery and will be taking deliberate actions to reopen Rockland Recreation Area as soon as we can so that the public can enjoy a safe recreational experience.”
Fudge said things may look a little different when these areas reopen but the public can expect a quality visitation experience and the same service oriented, professional, interaction and assistance from our park rangers when the recovery work is completed.
“My hat is off to the entire team for the hard work, focus on safety, and continuing to push forward,” Fudge said.
Old Hickory Lock and Dam is located on the Cumberland River mile 216.2 in Sumner and Davidson Counties, Tennessee, and are approximately 25 miles upstream from Nashville. The City of Hendersonville is situated on the northern shoreline of the lake and the City of Old Hickory is located on the southern side of the lake. The lake extends 97.3 miles upstream to Cordell Hull Lock and Dam near Carthage, Tennessee.
Other day use areas available to the public at Old Hickory Lake include Shutes Branch, Old Hickory Beach, Lone Branch, Avondale, Cages Bend, Cedar Creek, Laguardo, and Nat Caldwell Park. Go to www.recreation.gov and search for Old Hickory Lake for a list of links to these alternate recreation areas.
The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2024 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 462443 |
| Location: | HENDERSONVILLE, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 1,047 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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