Nashville’s North Side: A Story of Resilience and Displacement After the 2020 Tornado

Just after midnight on March 3, 2020, an EF3 tornado cut a 60-mile path of destruction across Nashville and surrounding communities.

A Historic Community in the Path of Destruction

One of the hardest-hit areas was North Nashville — the historic heart of the city’s Black community. This area faced challenges similar to those experienced by parts of St. Louis after a tornado in May 2025.

In 2020, Nashville and St. Louis were on different trajectories. Nashville’s population was growing, fueled by healthcare and tech companies, while St. Louis experienced the largest population drop of any major city in the United States. Despite these diverging paths, St. Louis leaders can glance to Nashville for lessons learned about recovering from disaster.

The History of North Nashville

African Americans began congregating in North Nashville after the Civil War, when the Union Army established a camp for freed slaves in the footprint of what is now Fisk University.

The area flourished in the 1930s with the relocation of Meharry Medical College, the first medical school for Black people in the South. This brought economic stability and a growing middle class to the community.

“Now you have a group of people that can be considered truly middle class, or upper middle class, people that have money who want the goods and services that people who have money have,” said Learotha Williams, a history professor at Tennessee State University.

However, Jim Crow laws restricted economic activity within the community. When Civil Rights legislation ended legal discrimination, some residents left. The construction of Interstate 40 in 1968 further impacted the area, resulting in the demolition of a hundred square blocks and decimating Jefferson Street, the Black commercial corridor.

Between voluntary departures and forced displacement, Williams said, North Nashville “begins to die, for lack of a better term.”

Signs of Rebirth and New Challenges

By the early 2000s, signs of a rebirth emerged, with new homes—often called “tall-and-skinnies”—appearing across North Nashville. However, this housing was often geared towards newcomers rather than long-term residents.

“But this housing, I submit to you, has been built not for the older residents, but for new folks coming in, and oftentimes it comes at the expense of the more historical residents,” Williams said.

Developers were attracted to North Nashville given that it was historically a lower-income area with a depleted housing stock, according to Jack Gaughan, the president of Greater Nashville Realtors.

The 2020 tornado, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerated changes. Remote function and Nashville’s lack of a state income tax drew new residents, making North Nashville an attractive and affordable option. The tornado also opened up more land for development.

The Aftermath and Concerns About Displacement

Odessa Kelly, born and raised in East Nashville, recognized the potential for displacement following the storm, recalling similar patterns after a 1998 tornado.

“I think within two or three years, it went from looking Blackity Blackity Black to white girls running down the street with their dogs in their hand,” said Kelly, the executive director of Stand Up Nashville, an economic justice advocacy group.

Stand Up Nashville and the Equity Alliance launched an education campaign called #Don’tSellOutNorf to aid residents understand their rights and resources for rebuilding.

The campaign aimed to help people understand the long-term implications of decisions regarding their property. Legal aid groups also assisted with insurance and property ownership questions.

The Impact on Residents

Mary Strickland, a lifelong resident of North Nashville, experienced the tornado firsthand. Her family’s home, purchased by her father in 1947, was damaged, but she was able to rebuild thanks to insurance coverage.

“It was a quality feeling to be back home,” she said.

However, not everyone had the same resources. Many residents lacked adequate insurance, leaving them vulnerable to displacement.

Donna Burks, a North Nashville resident, was unable to repair her home after the tornado due to a lack of insurance. She eventually sold it to a developer who renovated and listed it for over $500,000.

“The community’s gonna change,” Burks said. “The affordable housing that offered isn’t affordable.”

Protecting Vulnerable Communities

Metropolitan Council member Brandon Taylor emphasized the need for legal protections for residents. He has proposed legislation to limit the frequency with which developers can contact residents about purchasing their properties, but it has faced opposition in the state legislature.

The city also took steps to waive building permit fees and expedite code inspections for residents making repairs.

Gaughan, the Realtor, stressed the importance of balanced development, ensuring that amenities and housing options cater to both existing and new residents.

“It has to be built for the residents that are already there and that are going to continue to be there,” he said. “You don’t want a ghost town of empty homes.”