It’s clear that 2020 is putting us to the test. So before we go any further, take a second to slowly inhale, hold it at the top of your breath for a few seconds, and exhale just as slowly. Feel a little better? Trista here, and it’s what I do to bring myself back to the moment and into my body. We’re here. Now what?

Sunday night, severe storms and an EF-3 tornado hit the area, with winds up to 145 mph. Power went out, with as many 60,000 people seeing outages — EPB is still working on getting the lights back on. Huge shoutout to the Chattanooga Police and area fire departments for their tireless efforts checking on residents and the structural security of homes + buildings that were hit.

E. Brainerd Road. at about 10 a.m. on Monday., April 14. | NOOGAtoday

Here’s what we know so far (as of 5 p.m.)

○ At least 150 buildings have been damaged.

○ The Chattanooga Fire Department reported 17 hospitalized with injuries.

○ There are at least two dead in Hamilton County, and more in surrounding counties.

○ There are 140 people displaced.

○ Over 500 first responders are in action

○ According to the NWS, the tornado was about 9 miles long and 1500 yards wide. For perspective, a football field is 120 yards.

○ As of 4:30 p.m. Monday, EPB restored power to 17,000 customers, leaving 43,000 still without power.

Here’s how you can help

○ Stay home and out of the way of first responders, lineworkers, etc.

○ Donate to the Red Cross so they can continue to provide immediate disaster relief. You can do that here or by texting the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

○ Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center will help coordinate volunteer efforts in the coming days, possibly even as early as today.

○ Give blood. For a list of where to give blood in the area, check here.

○ Join this Facebook group full of members sharing information + volunteer efforts.

○ Plan a fundraiser. Before you kick it off, contact the organization to which you’d like to donate and confirm what they need.

○ Send supplies to loved ones + to recovery areas.

○ Sort through your closet for clothes you may not need or want anymore and donate them to local thrift stores or Goodwill.

DYK — Donating clothing for disaster relief is often wasteful, as the clothes pile up and end up in a landfill. It’s better to donate to thrift stores or sell them and donate the money to a nonprofit organization offering aid.

If you’ve been affected

○ The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has disaster recovery resources —like filing claims, hiring a contractor and avoiding scams — here.

○ If you need to take shelter, you can find a list of area shelters open here. Keep in mind there are guidelines for sheltering during the COVID-19 pandemic — you can read those here.

○ Call 211 for disaster assistance. You can access valuable resources, emotional support and local information pertaining to the disaster. Visit their website for more information.

When disaster hits, it’s difficult to stay inside and not lend a hand, but right we’re told that’s the best way to help. We’ll update y’all as we hear more about how + where to volunteer once the first responders have safely assessed the damage.

“Let us get to the next stage of this and then we can get to that next step. I promise you’ll have the ability to come in and help your neighbor and do what Chatt does best.” – Police Chief David Roddy

We are strong, Chattanooga, and we will get through this, too.