Deadly Quad-State Tornado
Early morning on December 11, 2021, a historic tornado outbreak ripped through Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas, leaving a 250-mile path of destruction. Homes, businesses, and lives lost along the way.
Along that path, Dresden, TN. Hometown to our immediate past President, Alexander Bynum. “We lost a lot. But the house is with almost no scratches as everything else around it is devastated. The six houses across the street from us are almost completely gone. Dresden has lost homes, restaurants, hardware stores, churches, small businesses, landmarks, places that have withstood the test of time for over a century, one side of our court square, and many of these will never return.” Bynum shared on Facebook Sunday evening. “We will have to work and work hard with a plan to ensure it will be ok. This will not be easy but it will be done. We are #DresdenStrong. I ask that you pray for the people of this community that have uncertain times ahead of where to live and work, for those that are traumatized by the event, and the children that will never forget the events that have happened.”
Tennessee REALTOR® President Travis Close and Division 1 Vice President Katie Townsend visited Bynum in his hometown and witnessed the devastation. “Seeing the damage in person is truly humbling, it fills you with a sense of awe, sadness, and gratitude at the same time. We’re so lucky not to have lost any loved ones, but we still have many loved ones who have lost a lot,” Close shared. “People just really don’t understand the level of devastation that is in Dresden right now that town will never be the same. Seeing it just is heartbreaking and we’re so thankful there were no lives lost,” Townsend shared.
As bad as Dresden was hit, Bynum shares that it’s not the only small town struggling to recover. Samburg, a small town East of Dresden was also hit very hard by the tornado. Towns like Dresden and Samburg are often overlooked by most media outlets, but not by REALTORS®. Tennessee REALTORS® is working to get NAR Realtor Relief funds for ALL areas in the state, large and small, declared to be a state of emergency.
Dresden
First Community Bank in Dresden
Venmo Be The Village Donations to: @bethevillage-1
Samburg
City of Samburg
Mail to:
Town of Samburg
P.O. Box 238
Samburg, TN 38254
Donate Items
| Cleaning Supplies | Shoes – All Sizes | Cups |
| Toiletries | Non-Perishable Foods | Baby Formula |
| New Under Garments | Shampoo | Flashlights |
| New/Gently Used Clothing | Toothbrushes | Batteries AA & AAA |
| Tables & Heaters | Toothpaste | Warm Blankets |
| Laundry Supplies | Soap | Toilet Paper |
| Diapers | Bathroom Linens | Paper Towels |
| Wipes | Deodorant | Dog Food |
| Bottles | Paper Plates | Cat Food |
| Pacifiers | Plastic Utensils | Gloves |
Bring Donations To:
Dresden
– Weakley County Adult Education/Technology Center located at 8250 TN Highway 22
– Old FedEx Building located at 1064 Evergreen Street (open 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
Kenton
First Baptist Church, located @ 204 S Polar St, Kenton
Samburg
– Hillcrest Elementary by Wednesday 12/15
– Samburg Assembly of God
Donate To the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) The RRF is a charitable organization dedicated to providing housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. Created as a REALTOR®-driven response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, RRF continues to restore and rebuild communities affected by disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes thanks to the generosity of individual REALTORS®, REALTOR® Associations, and affiliated organizations. Together, through the RRF, our community has helped over 17,000 families remain in their homes. Every dollar donated goes directly to victims of disasters. The National Association of REALTORS® is pleased to cover 100% of administrative expenses.
