The tornado that hit Murfreesboro Friday passed through the heart of the Nashville Pike unit of Stones River National Battlefield. It left a quarter-mile wide swath of fallen and damaged trees that stretches for approximately one mile across the battlefield, closing parts of the park to tourists.
Numerous fences were destroyed and debris covers nearly the entire section of the battlefield.
The visitor center and other park facilities were not damaged. A 60-foot section of the national cemetery wall was damaged by a fallen tree. The same tree also damaged a cannon display.
The visitor center opened at noon Easter Sunday, but all park areas from the CSX railroad tracks on the north to Wilkinson Pike on the south are closed to the public. The park requests everyone's cooperation in staying out of the closed areas. People who enter these areas are subject to law enforcement action.
The McFadden Farm unit, Redoubt Brannan, Fortress Rosecrans, and the generals' headquarters sites are open to the public.
Work has begun on clearing fallen trees and debris from the park. The park tour road, Stones River National Cemetery, and the Hazen Brigade Monument will open only when the park staff determines it is safe for visitors. The park's trail system may not be safe to enter for months and will be closed indefinitely. The public can check for updates on recovery efforts at the park's Web site, http://www.nps.gov/stri/parkmgmt/tornado.htm.
- Published HERE in The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Numerous fences were destroyed and debris covers nearly the entire section of the battlefield.
The visitor center and other park facilities were not damaged. A 60-foot section of the national cemetery wall was damaged by a fallen tree. The same tree also damaged a cannon display.
The visitor center opened at noon Easter Sunday, but all park areas from the CSX railroad tracks on the north to Wilkinson Pike on the south are closed to the public. The park requests everyone's cooperation in staying out of the closed areas. People who enter these areas are subject to law enforcement action.
The McFadden Farm unit, Redoubt Brannan, Fortress Rosecrans, and the generals' headquarters sites are open to the public.
Work has begun on clearing fallen trees and debris from the park. The park tour road, Stones River National Cemetery, and the Hazen Brigade Monument will open only when the park staff determines it is safe for visitors. The park's trail system may not be safe to enter for months and will be closed indefinitely. The public can check for updates on recovery efforts at the park's Web site, http://www.nps.gov/stri/parkmgmt/tornado.htm.
- Published HERE in The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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