March 03, 2020 • hometowns
Jason Tartick, Carly Waddell & More Confirm Safety After Tragic Nashville Tornado
Bachelor Nation residents of Nashville are confirming their safety after a devastating tornado struck the area in the early hours Tuesday morning. According to the New York Times, 25 people have died across Tennessee and nearly 50 structures were destroyed in Nashville.
Several former "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" cast members live in the city, and some took to social media to share their own stories of how they dealt with the warning sirens and when the tornado struck. Jason Tartick posted a photo of his girlfriend Kaitlyn Bristowe laying down in their bathtub with one of their dogs, Ramen.
In his caption, Jason started off by thanking those who checked in on him and explained he and Kaitlyn were at a bar with some friends celebrating a hockey win. He wrote, "Around 1:00AM the bar staff quickly went into a panic rushing to close up. While we were confused, it all made sense as soon thereafter we could hear loud sirens outside followed by the Tornado warning notifications beeping on all of our phones."
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Jason explained this was his "first experience in a tornado" and he had "no idea what was happening." Kaitlyn, however, "knew exactly how devastating this could be."
Once they got home, Jason and Kaitlyn "spent several hours locked in the first floor bathroom." Videos on Kaitlyn's Instagram Story show them each holding one of their dogs while cradling them and singing songs to calm them down.
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Carly Waddell, her husband Evan Bass, and their family also live in Nashville. Carly called the tornadoes "sooooo scary." She described, "We made a palate of pillows and blankets in the basement and we were waiting to wake Bella up til the they absolutely told us to. I couldn’t stop thinking about how scared she would be. What would I even say to explain to her about what was happening? My heart was so sad to be putting her through that."
She said their home was not hit by the natural disaster because "it took an unexpected turn north."
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Danielle Maltby, who appeared on Nick Viall's season of "The Bachelor" and "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 4, tearfully spoke about the state of the city in her Instagram Story on Tuesday morning. She also uploaded some photos of the destruction, describing, "I knew once the light came up, the pain would be that much worse. We don’t have power but we are alive, no injuries and my apartment sustained no damage but floors above and below me did. Buildings around me have been destroyed, lives have been lost over night."
She continued, "I love my neighborhood... I do believe in signs and I have always believed in Nashville. This mural my friend made remains unscathed but The Beast is gone. I was there Saturday with my cousins absorbing an incredible show.... I believe in Nashville, my neighbors believe in Nashville... we will rise, bc we’re Nashville Strong."
Our thoughts go out to all of those impacted by the tornado.