Nearly five months have passed since a tornado roared through Dresden, Tennessee.
Spawned by a Dec. 10-11 storm that traveled a four-state path of destruction, the twister killed a woman, all but demolished more than 50 homes and damaged 137 more in the county seat of 2,900 residents about two hours northeast of Memphis.
Among the 21 businesses hit hard in Dresden was a Simmons Bank branch at 101 S. Church St. The walls remained standing, but the roof was ripped open, exposing the interior to the raging wind and rain.
“It’s a start-over for us,” said Steve Massanelli, senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Simmons, based in Pine Bluff.
Safety deposit boxes in Dresden were relocated 8 miles away to the Simmons branch in Martin, and the future of the property is uncertain.
Simmons officials are still working to sort out the insurance claim for the storm damage. The options of rebuilding or relocating remain on the table.
In 2015, the Dresden office was folded into the Simmons branch network as part of the $243.4 million acquisition of Community First Bancshares Inc., parent company of First State Bank in Union City.
That stock swap deal for the fifth-largest bank headquartered in Tennessee, which operated 32 offices, marked Simmons’ first foray into the Volunteer State.
Simmons held a dominating 66.35% ($99.1 million) of bank deposits in Dresden. Two other banks operate offices there: Cadence Bank of Tupelo, Mississippi, and First Community Bank of the Heartland, based in Clinton, Kentucky.
