Storms rip through, destroy homes in City of Paris
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PARIS, Tenn. — The city of Paris is wondering what hit them Friday afternoon. Neither weather radios nor storm sirens sounded when the system moved through around 4:30 p.m. Friday. “I say it was in five seconds.” That’s how Pamela Walker described the quickness of the storm. In that short amount of time, the winds tore the roof off of her home. “I was headed to my storm shelter and opened the door,” Walker recalled. “The wind blew me to the table, so I got under the table and it jerked the roof up and set it back down.” Walker wasn’t the only one who saw the storm rip through her residence. Other homes were destroyed by strong winds that knocked down tree after tree. After realizing what had happened, many concerned friends and family members rushed to make sure everyone was safe. “It’s just bad. It’s worse than what I expected,” Paris resident Brandi Swaby said. “I live down the road and it was never bad. The wind never picked up or anything, so a lot worse than what I expected.” For Walker, neighbors quickly got to work on her roof, patching it up and making sure her belongings were protected from any other weather headed their way. Residents said helping one another became a common theme in the wake of the quick-moving storm. “I have told them if there’s anything they need I’d help, and I hope others will help also,” Swaby said. The National Weather Service said it’s sending a team to Paris Saturday morning. They’ll determine whether a tornado or straight-line winds are to blame for all the damage. Officials said no injuries had been reported as of Friday evening.
