Trees Planted In Honor Of Victims Killed In March Tornado

A deadly tornado that ripped through Tennessee in March left destruction and devastation in its path. Now, a town heavily impacted by the storms is honoring those who were killed.

About 80 miles east of Nashville, Cookeville is still recovering from the tornado that swept through the middle of the night, leveling homes and leaving 19 people dead. While the city has continued to rebuild since the storms, many are still shaken by nearly two dozen of their neighbors having their lives abruptly ended.

"We think about it every day. It's just — you go to sleep thinking about it, you wake up thinking about it," said Rodney Pitts. Not only was their home demolished, but he and his wife, Trisha, lost something even more devastating: their daughter Erin, son-in-law Joshua, and only grandchild Sawyer.

In an effort to help honor those who were killed, 19 trees were planted in the new Cookeville Strong Memorial Tree Grove on Saturday. The trees were donated by the Nashville Tree Foundation and include maples, poplars, and sweetgum trees.

"Hopefully people will see that and realize they're real people, real loss, and real grieving behind all of that," said Pitts.

While the focus so far has been on planting trees in North Nashville and Donelson, the foundation also plans to plant more trees in other communities impacted by the tornado, such as Hermitage, East Nashville, and Mt. Juliet.

Photo: Getty Images