The extent of the damage from last Friday’s tornadoes, hail and severe storms is still being calculated, but here are some preliminary numbers on the disaster and its toll in our region:
• At least six tornadoes, stretching from Marion County, Tenn., to Murphy, N.C., were confirmed. The strongest was an EF3 that hit near Harrison in Hamilton County and then entered Bradley County.
• There were an as-yet-undetermined number of serious injuries.
• Damage exceeds $19 million in the region.
• Seventy-seven homes in Harrison and Ooltewah were destroyed, and 40 homes were destroyed in McMinn County. Damage was also heavy in Bradley County.