How High's the Water, Mama?

Nashville, Tennessee and the towns around it saw historic and torrential rain all weekend. Approximately 10 people have died. Business are under water. Homes are under water. There has been no presidential fly-by. I don't think I've heard much from our US senators. The media isn't here.

WE ARE NASHVILLE!

We were hit with in excess of 13 inches of rain in 48 hours. Homes that were 25 feet above the 100-year flood plain were flooded. People lost everything. Literally, everything. So far, not all the flood waters have receded.

Personally, I know of 2 families whose homes are devastated. I know people who have family members who lost everything. The losses are everything from older mobile homes to the supplies and finished products of a very successful painter/artist. Fortunately, my family and I were blessed to have almost no water in our home and no other known damage.

Like Americans all over the nation have learned, natural disasters don't know the difference between the ramshackle dwellings of the poor to the historic archives of the Grand Ole Opry. There are no winners when the heavens open to this extent.

If you are interested in how you can put something of assistance into the hands of someone in need, I have an idea. Over the next few months, my church family - West End Church of Christ - will be providing help directly to families and individuals dealing with this. The needs are great and varied.....food, diapers, cloths, shovels, pencils for students, doors for houses....you name it, these people will need it. It may be formula for the baby, food for the dog, medicine for the sick - but it will be needed.

We plan on doing multiple collections of gift cards to various stores; i.e., Kroger, Walgreen's, CVS, Home Depot, Target, Wal-mart, Harris Teeter, Publix, Bed Bath & Beyond, Lowe's, and more.

If you would like to send a gift card or a check earmarked for "Flood Relief", please do so. You may send them to West End Church of Christ, 3534 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205.

The cards will be distributed as needed to meet the needs of the community.

In case you need a few more images to spur you to action

Please share this information.

I hope no one needs to buy a water heater any time soon...read the top link

Found this on CBSNEWS
Anderson Cooper of CNN did show up.

a little something from MSNBC

I guess I'm just mad.....because some athlete killed another and there is all this press....elizabeth hasselbeck makes a snarky comment and gets all this press.

30 people, so far, have died from floods here and the media isn't talking about this. I have a co-worker who is from Korea. Her brother who still lives there heard about it on the news in Asia and called to check on her. Another co-worker's niece, who lives in Georgia - a few hours from here - had no idea that over 1/4 of Tennessee, so far, has been declared a federal disaster area.

How much air time did Haiti get? How much air time did Chile get? How much time did Fargo get?

The major networks, with the exception of Anderson Cooper from CNN, haven't shown up.

Nashville is only a small part of the area flooded. There are literally thousands of people who have lost EVERYTHING. There are thousands of people who can not yet get to their homes. Had the Cumberland River risen approximately 1 foot higher, I think, the US Army Corps of Engineers could not have contained it.

And people don't know.

I spent most of Saturday trying to save the family photos of a family I know. It wasn't hard work. However, I slept over 15 hours because it was so draining.

Sunday, I went to see my mom....today my sister is taking mom for a total psychiatric exam because she is doing so poorly memory-wise.

The bright spots.....daughter is home from college for the summer. No significant water damage at my house. Saved well over 80% of those phots - thank God I went because I am probably one of the few people at church who had a clue how to save some of the pictures. The mayor says Nashville residents can now do necessary laundry and dishwashing.