Two dead in Huntersville area, students trapped at Union

The Jackson Sun

Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork said two people are confirmed dead in the Huntersville community on U.S. 70 west following tonight's severe weather. Emergency responders were working this evening to free eight Union University students who were trapped in Hurt Complex and Watters Complex, which are residence halls at the school, said Tim Ellsworth, who is news director at the university. No students were seriously injured, according to Ellsworth and Union President David Dockery. Four students have been rescued from the dorms, but it is not clear whether they have been taken to the hospital, Ellsworth said. The students who are trapped are talking with emergency responders, Dockery has said. ''The dorms have been reduced to piles of rubble of around them,'' Ellsworth said. ''I know we had students huddled in the bathrooms.'' ''A couple of buildings have almost completely collapsed and the roof of Jennings Hall is almost completely gone,'' Ellsworth said. The damage to buildings on campus is 10 times worse than it was when tornadoes hit the university in 2002, Dockery said. Ellsworth said classes at the university have been canceled until further notice. Nineteen injured people have come through the emergency room at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, according to spokeswoman Jan Boud. Five of those people are in serious condition, but most of the other injuries are minor, she said. Serious damage was done to the Jackson Oaks nursing home, at 3131 N. Highland Ave. No injuries have been reported there, but the home's 114 residents have been evacuated. The residents are being taken to the Carl Perkins Civic Center and family members will be contacted to pick them up. Woolfork said deputies have responded to several entrapment calls this evening. More than 10 residents took shelter at the Jackson Police Department tonight. In North Jackson other residents sought shelter at Regional Hospital, which received some damage. Regional is operating on power from a generator and plans to bring in another generator. The emergency room is open, and clean-up crews are at the entrance of the hospital removing debris. The nearby Regions bank branch at Channing Way and the U.S. 45 Bypass was destroyed by the storm, according to James Dusenberry, president of Regions Bank West Tennessee. "The roof of the building is missing and the drive through is destroyed," Dusenberry said. "All of our associates are OK. So far we know of no problems in Humboldt or other branches in North Jackson, but we've not been able to check in Brownsville." Just before 8 p.m., Jackson City Mayor Jerry Gist said emergency teams were concentrating their efforts with rescues at Union University and motorists on Interstate 40. Gist and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris were in the emergency command center in the basement of Jackson Police Department. "Our first priority is getting entrapments free," Gist said. Six crews, about 30 Jackson firefighters, are out servicing the calls at Union and I-40, Jackson Fire Chief James Pearson said. On I-40, emergency officials are responding to calls in the area of exits 70 through 73. Six tractor-trailers were blown over during the storm, officials said. Jackson Energy Authority says all power is out north of the interstate. The Pipkin Road area is out along with five substations in North Jackson. There are no estimated times on when power will be back up. Call 422-7500 if you see lines out or smell gas. Jackson Sun reporters Tajuana Cheshier, Tonya Smith-King, Wendy Isom and Ned Hunter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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