Nashville Tornado: Hayley Williams Confirms Paramore and Their Families Are Safe After Storm

A powerful storm blew through middle Tennessee on Monday night and launched two tornadoes, which severely damaged parts of the state including areas just east of Nashville. After the storms hit, many residents used social media to let friends and family know they were safe, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who reacted to the tornadoes on Twitter.

“[Because] people are asking – the guys and i, our friends, and families are all safe. thanks for caring and reaching out,” the musician tweeted on March 3. “so many people are without power, or worse, without a home at all. my heart just kinda wont stop sinking today for our community. thanks again for sending us love.”

“love you nashville,” she added in a second tweet.

Williams also retweeted two messages letting fans know how they can help relief efforts. The singer moved to Franklin, Tennessee at age 13 before beginning her music career and now lives in Nashville.

The tornadoes killed 24 people in four counties, including at least five young children, and devastated neighborhoods, leaving many with incredibly damaged housing and some businesses nearly destroyed. A number of celebrities have been sharing links with fans on how to donate and some have stepped in to help themselves, including Dierks Bentley, whose drummer’s home was severely damaged in the storm.

Bentley’s drummer, Steve Misamore, and his wife, CarryAnn, lost the entire second floor of their home and the remainder of the structure was left in shambles. On Wednesday night, Bentley shared a video of himself, his band and his crew arriving at Misamore’s house to help cleanup, though they found their sense of humor and had a bit of fun first.

Citizens of Nashville are also eager to help their neighbors, though Hands On Nashville, which connects volunteers with opportunities in the community, shared on its blog on Tuesday that the damaged areas aren’t quite ready for citizen volunteers.

“We know that lots of you just want to do something. We hear you. We love you,” the post read. “And what we’re hearing from the mayor’s office and our emergency responders is that it’s not quite time to deploy citizen volunteers. The areas hardest hit are *very* dangerous – gas leaks, downed power lines, and tree damage/debris in the streets. What emergency crews need is for us to stay clear so they can do their work.”

This weekend, HON is planning large-scale cleanups across the city.

Photo Credit: Getty / Bonnie Biess