The first week of April brought a weather system with storm after storm pounding parts of the Volunteer State. Some areas obviously were hit harder than others – southern West Tennessee receiving a significant tornado and northern West Tennessee a 500-to-1,000-year flood event.
Right in the center of McNairy County in Selmer, Tyler Redmon and his family’s testimony of God’s faithfulness got a little bit stronger at 12:46 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
“We woke up about 12:30 and my brother and I decided to take our families to town to go to our parents’ basement,” said Redmon. “We were at the house probably five minutes before it hit. We could see lights going around in the sky, you know, kind of coming at us. So, we decided to get in the basement, and we hunkered down and prayed, and the good Lord was with us and none of us got hurt or anything.”
Redmon says what they soon learned was an EF3 tornado only lasted about 15 seconds, but in that short time frame, left his parent’s house without their third floor and took about half the second-floor roof as well.
“When it first hit, you could hear glass breaking and your ears popped like you were descending in an airplane, but truly, my mom and dad’s house never creaked or popped,” said Redmon. “Even as we heard wind and glass, there just was a peace and calmness in that bathroom the whole time because we knew the Lord was with us.”
Another family who is praising the Lord for His hand of protection is McNairy County Extension agent John Williams. He and his wife and dog were huddled in their garage as the same tornado ripped their entire house off its foundation.
“We knew the storm was coming so we went down in our garage, which was the lowest level of our home, slightly below the normal foundation of the house,” said Williams. “After only a few minutes, it almost sounding like it was hailing, but come to find out, it was never hailing. It was actually, I guess, our house crumbling. We were sitting under the stars before we even knew it.”
Thankfully, all three were safe, and left the scene with only a few minor scratches. Williams adds, “We’re very thankful and lucky to be here – there’s not a single stud left in my house still standing. Definitely by the grace of God.”
Both families and many others in the area are coming together in powerful ways to help those impacted and reeling from the devastation. Unfortunately, after Thursday morning, the storms didn’t stop there. They continued with force until Sunday, leaving parts of Northwest Tennessee flooded once again.
“This flood is like déjà vu after just going through a similar situation along the Obion River back in February,” said Ty McConnell, Obion County Farm Bureau president. “We’ll have to do the same thing we did then to clean up and get things going again.”
While the February flooding event was significant, this time folks are ranking rainfall totals at somewhere between a 500-to-1000-year event with the main impacted areas being along the Obion River. Much like McConnell, Clay Brewer is the owner of a livestock barn in Trenton which got completely flooded during the storms. He and his team were quick to start cleanup and committed to providing for employees and customers alike.
“We started first thing the morning after cleaning out the barn,” said Brewer. “Everyone who works here – we’ve all got families to feed and bills to pay, so we just started right in on it as soon as we could. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get there, but we’re sure going to try.”
As director of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority, David Blackwood has been involved with both the flood in February and this one and says it’s tough to watch as farmers and landowners attempt to recover.
“This area has had its fair share in the past couple of years, and it’s just not good to see,” said Blackwood. “I know a lot of farmers who had just finished patching places that were damaged and repairing levees, so it’s just a tough event for those folks.”
Despite the hardship both folks who were hit by a tornado and others facing flooding challenges, all are committed to cleaning up and remaining hopeful, especially during this busy planting season.
“We’re just caretakers and we try to pray and learn. We’re here to make the best of it and everybody will, everybody has before,” said McConnell. “Rives and areas around there have flooded multiple times and the people there are resilient.”
Resilience comes from friends helping friends and, in both communities, there is no doubt folks are stepping in to help those in need.
“Before 8:00 a.m. the morning after the storm happened, I think every tote in two different Walmarts in West Tennessee had been bought and were headed to my house,” said Williams. “I had crews of people multiple days helping to go through and find what we could find, bring donations, you name it. It’s been overwhelming and amazing. I couldn’t imagine trying to go through this without that help and assistance. That’s been a blessing to us.”
Redmon couldn’t agree more and adds, “The Lord was with us every step of the way. He’s still with us, and we’re going to figure it out step by step.”
