American First Day Cover Society Treasurer Mark Thompson and his wife Linda are uninjured after the devastating tornadoes in central Tennessee March 3rd. However, a big tree fell on their house in East Nashville, crushing the two dormers. (Mark’s home office was up there.) The tree also ruptured the gas line, so power is cut in the neighborhood to any homes that might have still had it. East Nashville was one of the harder-hit areas of the city.

Some of his collection may have been damaged by the rain after the tornado opened the roof, but he believes his gold-medal exhibit, “Women of the Black Heritage Series,” is fine, “maybe a little dusty.”

That’s Mark above at the 2016 first-day ceremony in Nashville for Soda Fountain Favorites, and, as you can see, he was enjoying one of the stamp subjects.