Tornadoes Over Tennessee, an Airborne Perspective

We had some bad weather last week. The storm system that hit Tennessee last Friday spawned several Tornadoes and destroyed portions of many mid-state cities. With eight dead in the upscale Woodhaven subdivision, the city of Gallatin was hardest hit.

Since I had already planned on flying the following Sunday, a friend and I chose to survey the damage. Fortunately, the destruction in Gallatin was not as bad as the media had reported it.

I have seen tornado damage from the air before, and it was a humbling experience. This time, however, I was quite relieved for the people of Gallatin. From the air, it was evident that the tornado had only grazed them, trailing through some empty fields before carving a small path through the upscale Woodhaven subdivision. Its path suggested a collision-course for a nearby power-plant, but the twister evidently dissipated. According to a report in the Tennesseean, the Gallatin tornado was an F3 on the Fujita scale.

For the pilots reading this, exercise extreme caution if you choose to examine any disaster damage. During the ten minutes I spent circling the area, there were four airplanes in the vicintity doing the same. As a pilot, your first obligation is to fly the airplane, and that includes collision avoidance. Also, be sure to check for TFR's prior to departure, as traffic may interfere with relief efforts in your area.