Saturday, May 8, 2010

Tears for Our City



I finally broke today. You just can't imagine the devastation that we have here.

This video brought me to tears. And it doesn't come
near showing you how many places were flooded. Places that weren't even near water. Places that had never flooded before. Not even during the flood of 1979, when we thought it was bad. The Corps of Engineers declared it a 1,000 year flood. A flood that we should have never known.

Someone said yesterday that it's like a tsunami hit Nashville... and it is.


Last Saturday morning, I went to the gym. It was raining. We knew that we had a 70% chance of rain and that it was probably
going to rain on Sunday, too. I cleaned house. My Love came home and we were going to go shopping when my Mom called. A tornado was coming toward our house, so we flipped on the TV.

We ducked under the stairwell and watched as that storm passed. Then came another round, and another and another and
it just didn't stop raining.

My best friend called and said that she was on her way home from Downtown to Murfreesboro, since bad storms were coming.
She needed to get home to her dogs and let them out. She was literally 10 minutes in front of the I-24 flood that 175 cars had to be hauled away from.

This wasn't like New Orleans where we were told to GET OUT. Leave. It's coming. There was no warning. As a matter of fact,
they told us to stay home. The roads were flash flooding. If you don't have to leave, don't. That's why so many people had to be evacuated by boats from their homes. This happened to us with no warning and in a period of 36 hours.

I am very fortunate that I live on a hill near the lake, but behind the dam. We only had water coming in the windows that we didn't
know needed re-caulking.

Many lost everything. Every thing. Homes. Businesses. Lives.


Please pray, send up a hopeful thought or whatever you do. Our city is devastated and the national media has barely noticed.

16 comments:

Ken said...

Can't imagine how bad it really was. They showed us so little on the tube and only a few pictures could be found on the computer.
Glad you got through it OK.

Golden To Silver Val said...

My heart just breaks seeing all this. I, too, am glad you came through this ok. I couldn't read all of your post....on my machine, the right side of it is cut-off.

Melissa said...

Blogger appears to have cut off the right hand side of your video and text, but I get the gist of your post. My heart goes out you and all of your neighbors, sweetie! I knew that trouble was brewing in your area last weekend, when I looked at the weather maps, and that front just seemed to hang over Kentucky and Tennessee for several days. That amount of continuous rain in that type of terrain, always spells trouble. I hope your home was on high ground and spared the devastation.

Melissa xx

Dana said...

I have been troubled (not a strong enough word) by the lack of attention to Nashville. The devastation was profound - the national focus has been lacking. What I know is that the grow you folks in he south a little differently than they do us yankees, and you will band together and be stronger than before this happened. Until then, thoughts and prayers continue.

Charlene said...

I am glad you and yours are safe.

I think the prevalence of 100 year floods has to do with erosion.

SkylersDad said...

I just can't imagine how bad it must have been, or still is.

Indi said...

The true force of nature can and is a cruel thing. I have never experienced anything on that scale before so I can only say how sorry I am.. my heart goes out to you and the people who now have no where to live, who's lives have changed dramatically. But you know what they say.. with time... I hope no one has lost their life.

Indi

xxx

vixen kitten said...

2 years ago I sat in a chair, on the highest point of my property, and watched the water invade my house.

There is nothing worse.

My heart is bleeding along side yours. I have no words that haven't already been said by others.

You have my thoughts, and you have my prayers.

with love,
~vk~

Jaimey said...

Thinking about you all the time. No words to express. I'm just sorry. Love and hugs.

Akelamalu said...

How terrible! I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm sending postitive thoughts and oodles of Reiki. x

Phfrankie Bondo said...

...damn...

CheekyMonkey said...

I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am at how little attention Nashville has gotten in the media. I guess they're leaving it up to US to spread the word and get the help needed to fix that beautiful city of yours.

Tons of hugs lady... tons of hugs. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Anonymous said...

My heart goes to all those people. So sad

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

I did a post last week on the lack of national coverage...it really is troubling...

nitebyrd said...

So true that the media isn't reporting the devastation in TN like they did for Haiti. While structures in TN may be made better and the citizens of TN may be better off financially than the people of Haiti, the people of Tennessee are human beings that lost everything they had in the world and need help. I haven't seen a benefit concert or fund-raiser announced yet.

Sorry for the rant.

Anonymous said...

In my prayers girl.

I have a cousin up in that area too.