Seven people lost their lives in the tornadoes that tore through Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
Several tornadoes touched down in the region, killing three people in Clarksville and three people in the Madison neighborhood of Nashville. More than 80 others were rushed to hospitals.
Those who died have now been identified.
Donna Allen
59-year-old Donna Allen was a Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident who was visiting her son, Eric, and his four children in Clarksville. According to a Go Fund Me page, none of Eric’s children were at home when the storm hit. The house was destroyed and Donna was killed.
The fundraiser is organized by Eric’s colleague from Crossroads Campus, a program that provides paid job training in pet-related careers.
Eric tells Clarksville Now his mother was a resilient and joyful woman and “the life of the party.”
Arlan Coty
Fourth grader Arlan Coty was in his family’s Clarksville home when it collapsed. His 13-year-old sister was also trapped in the rubble. A neighbor pulled them both out of the debris, saving the girl’s life, but Arlan did not survive.
An obituary describes the 10-year-old as “compassionate, caring, intelligent and loving.” He enjoyed Pokémon, PlayStation, listening to music and spending time with his friends.
In a Facebook post, Arlan’s mother, Katherine Burnham, writes that “Arlan kept us on our toes since the day he could walk. He was so full of energy and life … there is not one person who has met Arlan that has not been brought to tears from his passing.”
There is a Go Fund Me for the family, but Clarksville Now reports clothing donations are also being accepted at the Wyatt Johnson Toyota, where Arlan’s father works.
A visitation for Arlan is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Clarksville. The funeral service will follow at 3 p.m. Arlan’s family is requesting everyone wear Los Angeles Laker’s colors — black, purple and gold — in honor of his love of the basketball team.
Stephen Kwaah Hayes
34-year-old Stephen Kwaah Hayes was a Clarksville resident who lost his life when a tornado touched down on the north side of the city.
Stephen’s sister, Angela Hayes, tells the Tennessean that there were seven people in her house — Angela, her three children, her mother, her husband and Stephen — when the tornado pulled the roof off of their home. The rest of the family survived.
Stephen Hayes was originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, but moved to Tennessee with his family when Angela’s husband, Elorm Dzidotor, joined the army. According to his Facebook page, Stephen studied at Salisbury University in Maryland and Hofstra University in New York.
Angela says that Stephen was “kind and generous, even as he faced mental health challenges as an adult.” She says that he was passionate about playing sports, especially basketball in high school.
In a Facebook post, Angela thanked the community for their support.
“I never have met a community so loving and compassionate as Clarksville, Tennessee,” Angela wrote. “You all have been so good to us. Words can’t describe. I’m still in tears. Even in the freezing cold you all came out the following day to help us sift through the rubble to salvage what was left.”
Four houses, including Angela’s — which was located on Henry Place Boulevard — were reduced to rubble in their Clarksville subdivision. Another victim, Arlan Coty, lived just over 100 feet from the Hayes’ home.
A Go Fund me page has been created to support Angela and Elorm as they rebuild their home.
Joseph Dalton
37-year-old Joseph “JoJo” Dalton was inside his Madison mobile home when it was picked up by the wind and thrown on top of a neighboring trailer on Nesbitt Lane, destroying both.
His partner, Cassandra Diket, tells the Tennessean that Joseph had been home with their 10-year-old son and Joseph’s mother. Cassandra was not in the house.
Cassandra says that Joseph took shelter in the bathtub, shielding his mother and son, Aiden, with his own body. She says Aiden remembers his father’s reassurances and holding hands.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up by neighbors to support the family with funeral costs, medical care and rebuilding.
Cassandra says she and Joseph did not think their mobile home was safe, and they had plans to move to a house in Old Hickory later this month.
In a Facebook post, Cassandra says the family plans to hold a memorial service at some point, but that they “just need some time.”
Floridema Gabriel Perez and Anthony Elmer Mendez
31-year-old Floridema Gabriel Perez, and her two-year-old son Anthony Elmer Mendez, were Madison residents. They were inside their Nesbitt Lane mobile home when it was crushed by another mobile home — one inhabited by victim Joseph Dalton — during the storm.
A neighbor tells News Channel Five that Floridema and Anthony’s bodies were found together, the toddler still cradled in his mother’s arms. Perez’s 7-year-old son was also inside the home at the time of the storm. He was transported to Vanderbilt Pediatrics with injuries.
According to a Go Fund Me page, Floridema and her children came to the United States from Guatemala just five months ago, joining Floridema’s husband, Felipe Mendez. The fundraiser aims to help Felipe repatriate their bodies back to Guatemala for burial and funeral services.
Penny Kaye Scroggins
Penny Kaye Scroggins was injured in the tornadoes on Dec. 9, and passed away Dec. 16 from complications according to ClarksvilleNow.com. She was 78 years old. She was a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandma who is being remembered fondly for her kind heart and her smile. She enjoyed spending time with her family, watching sports, and working.
This story has been updated to include information on Stephen Kwaah Hayes and Penny Kaye Scroggins.
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