Eric Paslay Says ‘Hold Your Loved Ones Tight’ in Wake of Nashville Tornado

"Hold your loved ones tight."

Written by Lauren Laffer
Eric Paslay Says ‘Hold Your Loved Ones Tight’ in Wake of Nashville Tornado
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 02: Eric Paslay performs onstage during Don Williams: Music & Memories of the Gentle Giant at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on November 02, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images)

Like many Nashville residents, Eric Paslay was in the direct path of the deadly tornado that struck the city during the early morning hours on Tuesday (March 3). But he considers himself lucky, as he and his family made it to safety before the storm hit.

Paslay posted an update on Instagram on Wednesday (March 4) assuring fans that he and his wife Natalie and daughter Piper are safe following the deadly storm, doing so with a thoughtful post expressing gratefulness and a sense of sorrow for those who weren’t as lucky. The singer details that it was an “incredibly scary night,” but he and his family had enough warning to get to shelter just 30 seconds before the storm reached their home. He shared this recount alongside a photo of him and his wife, who is holding two-year-old Piper in her arms, as they pose with a member of the Metro Nashville Police Department.

View this post on Instagram

Hi all. Thank-you so much for reaching out to check on us. It was an incredibly scary night with a direct hit from the tornado. Fortunately, we had enough warning to get downstairs to our shelter with an additional 30 seconds to spare before it was on top of us. We are smiling in this picture because we are beyond happy and grateful to be standing together, unharmed, surrounded by the best friends, neighbors, volunteers, and first responders you could ever hope for. We are smiling in this picture because at the time that it was taken, we didn’t realize that there were lives lost. We are so sad and are hurting for those families and their losses. Hold your loved ones tight. We love y’all- Stay safe out there

A post shared by Eric Paslay (@ericpaslay) on

“We are smiling in this picture because we are beyond happy and grateful to be standing together, unharmed, surrounded by the best friends, neighbors, volunteers, and first responders you could ever hope for,” he writes alongside the photo that also shows a tree that had been uprooted and collapsed in their front yard. “We are smiling in this picture because at the time that it was taken, we didn’t realize that there were lives lost. We are so sad and are hurting for those families and their losses. Hold your loved ones tight. We love y’all- Stay safe out there.”

Paslay is one of the many country artists who marked themselves safe and offered their condolences in the wake of the tornado that moved across Tennessee, claiming the lives of at least 25 people and damaging more than 100 buildings.