CLARKSVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TENN – In the wake of last Friday’s intense wind storm in the region, predatory, fly-by-night storm chasers are descending on the area with the intent of victimizing home and property owners, and Clarksville, Montgomery County, is already seeing its share.

Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts are appealing to the community, asking that residents not be deceived by them.

Mayor Golden said, “It’s unfortunate there are people who pose as friendly and helpful to take advantage of those who are in the middle of difficult situations, but it is real. We encourage homeowners to exercise due diligence by researching the company. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you know of a neighbor or senior who may be targeted, please share this information and warn them.” 

"As our community continues to recover from another historic storm and the damage left behind, let me caution property owners to be wary about companies that move into town when these storms hit. Called "storm chasers," they often prey on low to moderate-income neighborhoods and our vulnerable senior citizens with promises of repairs and clean up, as long as money is given upfront. Once they get their money, they often leave town with jobs undone or half done,” said Mayor Pitts.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers good information at https://bit.ly/2vt54Df to help make the right decision. Advice includes not paying for services that have not been completed, researching companies, having contracts reviewed, asking for references and contacting those references, and avoiding cash-only deals and upfront payments.

“Always do business with reputable local companies. The yard signs popping up on the street right of ways and intersections should serve as warning signs to avoid some of these firms. Protect yourself and don't be scammed." added Mayor Pitts.

Homeowners who meet income eligibility may qualify for assistance with their home repairs. To find out, call Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) at 931-245-2988 to report significant damage to your home. For roof damage, the City of Clarksville Neighborhood and Community Services may be able to help pay for the repairs if you live within the city limits. To find out, call 931-648-6133.

To contact the BBB of Middle Tennessee, call 615-242-4222.

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Last Edited: March 08, 2023 @ 1:17 pm

CLARKSVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TENN – An informal “unmet needs committee” met this morning to identify resources available to those impacted by the storm and who meet the eligibility criteria for assistance. They covered resources for home repairs, help with electric bills, food replacement, damage assessment, and other services.

Home repairs and debris removal

Call Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) at 931-245-2988 to report significant damage to your home. Volunteers are onsite to answer calls from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Leave a message if someone does not pick up.

If your owner-occupied home has weatherhead or roof damage and you meet the income qualifications, the City of Clarksville’s Neighborhood and Community Services may be able to help pay for the repairs if you live within the city limits. Call 931-648-6133 for more information.

Food replacement

If you were without power for more than 48 hours because of the weather event, community agencies are helping to fill in the gap to replace grocery items for those who meet the income criteria.

First Presbyterian has 40 food boxes available that are donated by Loaves and Fishes. To get a box, call Crisis 211 at 931-648-1000. The boxes will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Operation Stand Down at 115 2nd Street has food resources available for military veterans. Call (931) 896-2184 for more information.

Urban Ministries, located at 217 S. 3rd Street, will provide food and other resources. They can also assist in connecting with SNAP for replacement food stamps and families who may need SNAP services temporarily. Call 931-648-9090 for details.

Family Outreach Ministries is offering food for those affected by the storms. Call 931-444-7205 for details.

Electric bills

Those without power for more than 72 hours in the City limits can contact Neighborhood and Community Services at 931-648-6133 to check on eligibility for financial assistance. Residents who live in Montgomery County outside the City limits can call the United Way to check on eligibility for financial assistance at 931-647-4291.

Assessment team

Members of Team Rubicon, an independent organization made up mostly of military veterans, who specialize in clean-up efforts in communities following weather events, will be in the community taking photos and assessing possible needs for Clarksville, Montgomery County.

Additional Services

The American Red Cross offers various services following weather events and can be reached at 800-733-2767.

YAIPak is loaning generators and equipment to assist with clean-up efforts. Call 615-559-7710 for details.

Manna Café has small household appliances and other household goods for those affected by the storm. Call 931-933-0970 for info.

Please check for updates on the Montgomery County, Tennessee, and City of Clarksville social media pages.

Hello Montgomery County.

We went through quite the weather event several days ago! I write to encourage and help us realize the enormity of what happened and the blessings of what did not happen.

What we expected on Friday was some thunderstorms and a tornado watch with wind gusts between 45 to 55 miles an hour throughout the day. We got a tornado watch through 1 p.m. and sustained winds through 6 p.m. recorded as high as 79 miles per hour with the greatest wind measurements and wind speeds in Middle Tennessee. We experienced the same atmospheric pressure as a Category 1 hurricane. As a result, power was lost to over 30 thousand customers in the City and 9,500 customers in the County’s unincorporated area. Trees, electrical poles, and power lines were down all over our County, traffic was backed-up, and property was damaged. The sounds and imagery that occurred were scary and unnerving, to say the least. In the light of the following day, it was easy to see the ferocity of the winds and count our blessings, which I’ll get to shortly.

What made this different from other wind/storm events was not only the magnitude of the damage to the trees, lines, and poles on the ground but also the fact that it lasted for so many hours and covered such an extensive area from one end of the County to the other. Some of our senior Montgomery Countians commented online that they had never seen anything like what happened Friday because of how long, fierce, and widespread the winds persisted.

With all of that happening, I witnessed people at their very best in the midst of a bad situation. The linemen for CDE and CEMC went straight to work, 911 Dispatchers assisted over 1,000 callers, and our City Police and Sheriff’s Office were working to keep order on the roads and stop people from going over deadly power lines. The City Street Department, City Fire & Rescue, Highway Department, County volunteer firefighters, and helpful neighbors we will never know about were cutting and moving what they could as quickly as possible. 

Behind the scenes, our County’s Emergency Operations Center was up and running with representatives from all City and County public safety operations, CDE, and our local Red Cross pulling information together in one location to communicate quickly about the most dangerous and high-priority areas and collecting info on damaged homes. They disclosed info to the public almost as quickly as it was collected,  and our local media also worked to report the updates to residents. In addition to the linemen, CDE and CEMC dispatchers, engineers, member service reps, and other staff have been busily working behind the scenes in their operations centers handling logistics, constantly monitoring, communicating, and updating those on the ground and residents. 

Now, my favorite part, we have been blessed, Montgomery County! With 79 miles per hour winds, debris flying everywhere, giant trees falling to the ground, power lines down, and many traffic lights out of commission, we had zero fatalities and no serious injuries. By Friday evening, when the winds had died down, our Emergency Services Director reported that there were three minor injuries directly related to the storm. That is miraculous. We have many reasons to be thankful!

Our School System chose to err on the side of caution and wisely decided to close schools on Friday. That meant no buses, no parent pick-ups, and no children traveling the roads during the timing of some of the worst devastation. Thank you Clarksville-Montgomery County School System! We also had individuals and groups praying all over our County from the day before and through the storms requesting protection for our people and property. I believe in the power of prayer. For those who were and are still without power, we can take comfort in the fact that we have had unseasonably favorable temperatures which have kept residents relatively comfortable and our linemen safe from battling weather challenges.

After the storm, our power companies made tremendous gains within the first 24 hours, and we are now down to less than 600 residents without power. Throughout the outage, most people have been patient and grateful for the efforts of our power companies. That is appreciated. The power companies knew that to get people back online as soon as possible they would need backup. They called in more than 65 additional crews. To give you some perspective, they called in 27 additional crews following the storms of October 2019. People went out of their way to thank the professionals in the field and local businesses donated food to keep our power workers fueled and on task. 

Even though some people experienced damage, inconvenience, and the loss of groceries, we are so very blessed. All those things can be replaced. What we cannot replace is Montgomery County’s most valued resource, which is our people. 

As of now, we know 23 homes sustained significant damage from the storm. If you have significant damage and have not reported it or know of a neighbor or elderly resident who may need assistance due to the storm, please call our Emergency Management Agency at 931-245-2988. They will have volunteers on the phones beginning tomorrow from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Leave a message if someone does not pick up.

If there is a better way for us to communicate with you during future events, please let us know by calling 931-648-8482 or emailing [email protected].

To say I am proud to serve as Mayor of this great County is an understatement. This is an amazing community because we have amazing people. Let us always remember that.

Director shares the accomplishments, challenges and needs of animal shelter

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Before Monday night’s Montgomery County formal commission meeting, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) Director Dave Kaske shared the shelter’s 2022 annual report with County Commissioners.

As Clarksville, Montgomery County grows and changes, it affects the pets owned by residents. The current 7,000-square-foot MCACC facility experiences a lot of activity in our community, with their team members providing a multitude of services such as responding to animal-related emergencies, complaints, violations, microchipping, collaboration with local and regional animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, other municipal shelters, and local law enforcement, investigations of aggressive animals, bites, animal cruelty and welfare, adoptions, housing, microchipping, and disease control.

Challenges faced in 2022

Kaske shared that they experienced a drastic increase in animal intakes, up 22% from 2021, and service calls were up 32% since 2020. Due to increased intakes and lack of housing, their live release rate fell from 86% in 2021 to 80% in 2022. The lack of viable veterinary services for spaying/neutering adopted pets caused longer stays and increased costs. One of the greatest challenges is that the number of veterinarians that take vouchers from MCACC dropped from 10 in 2018 to two in 2022.

Increased activity from 2021 to 2022

·         The shelter served 15,906 visitors, up 8.5% 

·         Service calls increased by 25%, with 7,130 service calls, an average of 27 calls per day

·         Intakes increased by 22%, with 4,883 (14 animals per day) entering the shelter 

·         Owner surrenders increased by 6%, with 667 pet surrenders

·         Adoptions increased by 13%, with 1,754 pets adopted

·         835  dogs were reclaimed or returned to their owners in the field

·         62 cats were reclaimed 

·         More than 47,000 rabies tags were issued by local veterinarian clinics

·         1,768 microchips implanted 

Service call areas 

·         Eighty percent of all calls come from within the City of Clarksville

·         Fourteen percent are in the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County

·         Six percent are from Fort Campbell

Kaske explained the lack of available veterinary services is due to fewer clinics accepting vouchers and increased costs for the clinics to stay competitive. He also shared that changes to housing is a reason more people are bringing their pets to the shelter. Renters find themselves in a different situation when new individuals or corporate ownership no longer allows pets.

“We accomplished more than ever before in 2022. That would not be possible without my amazing staff members,” said Kaske.

The new shelter, to be built off Purple Heart Highway by early 2025, will offer more than 22,000 square feet of space and offer an in-house clinic for most of the veterinarian services currently outsourced. 

“Our County’s Chief Engineer, Nick Powell, is working with Shelter Planners of America to get the best use out of the facility for our community and the animals we care for,” added Kaske.

“The work done by Dave and his team is often overlooked and unappreciated. They provide the best service possible with limited space and personnel and are truly concerned about the animals in their care. I’m thankful they will have relief with the new facility,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

To view the full 33-page report, click mcgtn.org/animal-control/reports-and-statistics. More information about MCACC, including the list of adoptable animals, is at mcgtn.org/animal-control.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Montgomery County Government offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of the President’s Day federal holiday. All Montgomery County offices will resume services on Tuesday, Feb. 21. 

For online options available through Montgomery County Government, visit the GOV tab at mcgtn.org.

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