Tornado Damage Closes Portions of Stones River Battlefield

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

UPDATE: Stones River National Battlefield - Tornado Damage

I took a drive along Old Nashville Highway earlier this after noon. The battlefield’s visitor center was indeed open, and the good news is the building does not appear to have been damaged in any way. As for the damage to the battlefield, the pictures I posted yesterday from The Daily News Journal do not do justice to the level of damage. From what I could see from the road, trees are down everywhere. Hazen’s monument was completely obscured from view by a downed tree, and I’ll be surprised if there is much of anything left of the Round Forest after the debris removal.

Stones River National Cemetery, from what I could see is nearly untouched. The only damage I was able to observe was a hole knocked out of the southeast stone wall surrounding the cemetery where a tree had fallen on top of it.

Most of the park remains closed to visitors, for obvious safety reasons. The following is a list of the park's sites and facilities and their current status obtained from the park’s website.

Visitor Center: Open (8 AM - 5 PM Daily)

Park Tour Road: Closed

Main Park Trails: Closed

Stones River National Cemetery: Closed

Hazen Brigade Monument: Closed

Fortress Rosecrans: Open

Redoubt Brannan: Open

McFadden Farm Unit: Open

General Rosecrans's Headquarters: Open

General Bragg's Headquarters: Open

Stones River National Battlefield: Tornado Damage

Damage caused by a tornado which struck Stones River National Battlefield on Friday afternoon, April 10th, 2009.

Tour Stop 5. The Round Forest, Battery F, 1st Ohio Volunteer Artillery.

Another view.

Tour Stop 5. The Round Forest.

Hazen’s Monument.

Hazen’s Monument.

Hazen’s Monument.

McFadden’s Lane, looking south.

Parson’s Battery.

Park road at Tour Stop 1, Looking South.

Park road at Tour Stop 1, Looking South.

Miscellaneous storm damage.

Miscellaneous storm damage.

- Photographs published on the website of the Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Saturday, April 11, 2009

Storm Rumbles Across Battlefield

Stones River visitors, passers-by take shelter in basement of visitor's center.

By MEALAND • RAGLAND-HUDGINS • April 11, 2009

Park Ranger Jim Lewis was shocked Friday when he stepped out of the visitor’s center at the Stones River Battlefield and saw a funnel cloud coming toward him.

“It was headed right this way,” he said, describing the path of Friday’s tornado.

Lewis said about 50 to 60 people took shelter in the basement of the center when word of the tornado was sent out. Some had been at the Murfreesboro Greenway, but many pulled over just to seek shelter.

“People were frantic, especially the ones who had kids at day care,” he said.

The winds toppled wooden fencing and several trees at the battlefield. Power lines were also down. The stretch of Old Nashville Highway in the immediate area was closed for some time because a tree was in the road. Siding from buildings was strewn about the fields but none of it from the visitor’s center, Lewis said.

“All the debris you see came from that way,” he said, motioning toward the West Park subdivision. “You can look at the trees and tell exactly which way it came. It crossed Old Nashville and hit some trees over there. We’ll be busy for a while getting everything cleared out.”

Immediately after the storm, lines for gas at the Texaco Food Mart at the corner of Thompson Lane and Robert Rose Drive were steady. Several pumps were shut down because the storm knocked out some of the computer systems to them. As customers waited their turn, they swapped suggestions on the best way to reach their destinations, since traffic was congested across town.

One man said he was headed to work in Smyrna but had to call in late due to the traffic being tied up on commonly-used routes.

Another man said his car was just about out of gas. When asked where he was headed, “Anywhere but here,” was his response.

Around 2 p.m., no traffic signals were operating in the Cason Lane area. Heavy tree damage was seen at homes near the intersection of Brinkley and Franklin roads. At the intersection of Brinkley/Florence roads and Manson Pike, a man dressed in plain clothes parked his car and directed traffic in the area.

- Published HERE in the Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Saturday, April 11, 2009