Folks at the Tennessee church were preparing for a Christmas program on Saturday evening when they heard the wind begin to build in the distance.

Not long after, a tornado came roaring past the place of worship, sending congregants ducking for cover under pews and chairs. Randy Shannon was among them.

“The church narrowly missed taking a direct hit,” Shannon, the owner of Hendersonville, TN-based distributor Tristar Promotions (asi/347138), told ASI Media. “We heard it go by as we were hiding. The church suffered some roof damage and lost at least half of the trees on the property. Another church that I attend was less than half a mile from where three people were killed.”

Shannon was among the promotional products professionals dealing with fallout from tornados that tore through parts of the South the weekend of Dec. 9-10. States affected included Mississippi, Alabama, and North Carolina. Tennessee reported the highest number of twisters.

Tragically, at least six people were confirmed dead in Tennessee, according to media reports. The Tennessee twisters were reportedly in the EF2 and EF3 ranges, which collectively can entail wind speeds of between 111 mph and 165 mph. Destruction was reportedly extensive.

Some aerial views today of one of the hardest hit areas of Clarksville, TN after the deadly tornado tore through the community. Views of the totally destroyed homes where 3 people lost their lives and other damage. More live coverage tomorrow on @weatherchannel. #TNwx… pic.twitter.com/j87Xh6vn0M

— Charles Peek (@CharlesPeekWX) December 11, 2023

Despite the frightening experience at the church, Shannon personally never lost power or experienced damage.

The same, unfortunately, could not be said for Hendersonville-based distributor Cruisin Sports (asi/172111). In the immediate aftermath of the Dec. 9 tornado, the company reported that it sustained significant damage at its facility and was working hard to salvage as much as possible.

Within a few days though, things were looking up. A team member told ASI Media that power was back and that employees were doing well given the circumstances. Things weren’t perfect, but repairs had been made and normalcy was coming into view, the team member said.

“After three straight days of hard work and some of the best employees and friends you (could) ask for, we are back to a clean and working warehouse,” Cruisin said in a Facebook post. “Still sorting through damaged merchandise and identifying what is missing. Hoping to become fully operational again by the end of the week.”

Elsewhere, similar to Shannon, Vault Promotions (asi/93422) experienced a scary near-miss. One of the tornados ripped through the Hendersonville industrial complex where the supplier is located. Vault lost power for a short while, and phone coverage was spotty for a bit, but the company’s building was essentially unscathed. Not so other businesses in the complex and elsewhere nearby.

“We were 1,000 feet from total destruction,” Vault President Josh Robbins told ASI Media. “Some businesses were just leveled. The tornado went down the main street here and caused a lot of damage. It was heartbreaking.”

Still, Vault was back up and running early in the week, though in a social media post Robbins noted that response times could be slower than usual Monday and Tuesday. While it was possible that there’d be some temporary delays with pickups and delivery of shipments, Robbins told ASI Media that the overall impact to business should be minimal – a blessing in light of what could have been.

“I hope to gain some insight into our neighbors’ needs this week and will soon be posting on my personal page ways in which we can help as they navigate the upcoming holidays,” Robbins said in a Facebook post.

Intense footage captured when a 25-year-old driver was caught inside a deadly tornado with 150 mph winds in Clarksville, Tennessee.

His dash-cam captured lightning, poles bending, and debris flying as his windshield cracked. He survived, but the storm "totally totaled" his car. pic.twitter.com/MNDts1Tocr

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) December 12, 2023

Robbins added to ASI Media that the experience struck home the importance of having an emergency plan.

“Although we certainly need to build upon and improve ours, it was critical knowing that we were equipped with hot spots for internet, generators to ensure the equipment could be maintained during down time, and alternative communication methods that could be used,” he told ASI Media.

In the wake of the tornado, Vault is further strengthening its emergency plan.

“We will be utilizing an off-site backup system, and also employing more cloud solutions to ensure we can be functional for a prolonged period in the event our home base is compromised,” Robbins shared. “This was something we were currently in the process of putting in place for cyber-security measures, but the need is even more apparent in the wake of natural disasters.”

The Tennessean reported on various ways people can help support relief efforts in Tennessee.