We have a gully (for lack of a better word) between our house and the road. It's about 15 feet deep and, at it's widest point, about 35 feet across. Our driveway has a bridge over it. Well, actually it's a large culvert pipe covered in large rocks, gravel and earth. Most of the time, there is a dry creekbed in the bottom of the gully. When we get ferocious rains for a day or so, we have a very scenic little creek flowing. It started raining here last night. By early this afternoon, my driveway was underwater, bridge and all. The road I live on was underwater. The creek had jumped the banks, and was filling my property with raging water. We live in the hills! There's not a flood plain in sight.
I had to cancel my gig tonight because I didn't think I'd be able to get out (or back in).
On the news they're showing cars underwater ON THE INTERSTATES! They're calling for more of the same weather tomorrow. We were planning to have a "sing around the campfire" party and cookout tomorrow to celebrate our 25th wedding aniversary (which is Monday). I guess we'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Well I guess we'll be doing the backstroke.
I live about 500 feet above you Kurt and I have a creek in my side yard today.
Be careful Kurt. Those wet weather creeks can be dangerous.

My mother in law has the lower level of my house. It's the part I completely gutted two years ago and remodeled.
She came upstairs and said there was a little water on the floor.
Argh!!!!
I had water filling up the crawl space and it was seeping in under the stairs. Who ever built this place didn't slope the lot away from the house.
So I went outside in the rain and dug a ditch from the house to the patio. Not far 10 feet or so. I had to bust up an old sidewalk. The water is now draining away but it is still seeping into the lower level. I don't know how long that will keep happening. I guess until the water in the crawl space soaks into the ground.

How high is the water Papa?

I have a pickup truck, 4 wheel drive. It sits up higher than cars do Kurt. If you can't get in or out and need anything I might be able to get in there. Let me know.

am surprised your mother in law didnt panic and call the police when you were outside doing all that digging Bill.....

they can put up quite a fight in my experience-lol......


Tom

Now there are waves in the road in front of the house.
Fortunately, since we were planning for a party, we have plenty of food in the house. We have shelter. We have plenty of love. (If we start to run out, we'll just make some more.)

Kurt
Glad you are OK. My ditch digging seems to have averted any serious damage. Gonna take a while to dry out though.

My wife had to drive home from Vanderbilt this morning. She said water was flowing over Briley down by the river. and some on Clarksville Pike at the bottom of Germantown hill. She could see water on both sides Of Clarksville Pike

Sorry about your party today Kurt. Your plant is still in the yard here getting a bath.

MAB

Happy Anniversary Hey better a flood than drought...

Cheers

I drove through a pond in the middle of I-65 last night, at least ten inches deep. It was standing water, there was a police car by the side as the four lanes came to a halt and the cars slowly, one by one, drove through the water. About a dozen cars after I made it across, the police shut down the interstate trapping Razzy and the drummer behind. They had to drive several miles out of their way. A simple hour and forty five minute trip to a gig in Alabama turned out to take three and a half hours. The drive home was just a light rain. We're dry in the house, but this deluge has given me something I've always wanted: a moat. Well, it's receding now, almost as fast as my hairline.

Happy Anniversary Kurt
I'm sorry for your flooding
I hope it doesn't "dampen"
Your love that's ever budding!

Mike must you gloat
You now have a moat
Though now King of your castle
Driving will be a hassle

Rhyming aside I hope you guys are all safe!
It's just starting to thunder and pour here!!!

I started vacuuming up the water in my lower level about Noon
I thought I had dodged a bullet but there was a 2 inch hole I didn't know about on the south side of my house. Once the ground was saturated and the water started pooling there it came in. A lot. I was also getting seepage from other areas.
I dug another trench and built a mud dam to divert the water away from the hole. It helped some.
Unfortunately the lot next door is a little higher than mine and all the water from that lot runs onto my lot, across my driveway and pools right against my house. And that's where the hole is.

I have been sucking up water with my shop vac since then.
I'd estimate 50 to 60 times I dumped the water out. I stopped counting around 40. I'm not sure how many gallons it holds. I believe 12 gallons. So that's about 600...700 gallons so far?
I'll probably be at this most of the night. I am trying to keep the water low enough so the drywall doesn't absorb it. I held the drywall about an inch off the floor when I installed it.
It has finally stopped raining and the water seepage is slowing considerably, but it is still coming in.
They said on the local news we got 18 inches of rain.

Needless to say I am getting tired.

Happy anniversery Kurt. Best to you Bill.Stay dry.

MAB

Kurt hasn't checked back in. I bet he's flooded. I know where he lives and he is right at the base of the big hill at Germantown in a low area. He's got a wet weather creek running right by his house.

Possibly through it now...

I can see a song in this... "If only it would rain in Tenessee"

I'm a saying payer for you all...

Cheers

Gosh Bill I feel so bad for you, you moved to Nashville to get away from all that snow up North (and to be closer to the music of course) and now this!! When it rains it pours!! Hope your Homeowners will help cover your costs of repair. Take care and God Bless.

Off to work...
Lynn

Arggh, been thinking about our Nashville JPFolks. What a mess. Many prayers for ya'll.

Get important stuff off the floor and in the attic if you can(guitars may float, but...) Or at least UP. Photos, musical instruments, etc. The hellish thing about flooding, whether from a river or wind driven water, is that it happens so FAST. You watch the water rising and you're thinking "no, it can't be coming up this fast, it just CAN'T" -- but it is.

If you can't stay dry, please stay safe!

Brenda

"Glub, glub, glub"...
Thanks for the good thoughts, y'all.
It looks like we'll be re-doing the driveway and the bridge to the mainland, but other than that we dodged a bullet.
The idjits we bought the house from had it re-roofed before they put it on the market, but they didn't put tarpaper down before they put the shingles on. Of course, the building inspector didn't catch it. Now, we've got some soggy sheetrock in the ceiling in some places, and a good excuse to install that metal roof we keep talking about.
At least we didn't have an oil rig out in the yard....


Here's a photo from early Saturday....before it got bad.[img]http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...amp;albumID=3046758&imageID=61166990[/img]

Hey Kurt
Good to hear you are OK. Too bad about the roofing. I had a couple spots that were not flashed correctly. Glad I found those last year and fixed it then.
That's what happens when people don't do things correctly. Make sure you get the drywall dried out right away or you will be dealing with mold. I'm hoping I was able to keep the water low enough downstairs. I had installed Blueboard in some spots, Like the bathroom and outside walls.

It looks like the seepage has finally stopped. Now it's just a matter of drying everything out.

Good to hear from you guys. Kurt your "Anniversery plant" is still struggling but still here.

MAB

Bill,
Life's a ditch!
Kurt

You could say that about my career, as well.

Not drying in a roof is almost unheard of. I would at least talk to a lawyer about that. Find out who the contractor was (if there was one). Find out who the so called inspector was.

If insurance is covering the damage, let them know about the phony roof job, I guarantee they'll get to the bottom of it.

Oh My Goodness!! I am having deja vu having just lived this in RI .. My thoughts and prayers are with you!
I remember thinking the seepage was never going to stop .. get it cleaned and there is was again! Be careful!

One thing i learned in my FEMA/Insurance wars.. if some damage is not covered under FEMA provisions and you have water that came in due to your "roof" .. THAT should be coverered by home owners insurance.

I am still fighting to get fema & SBL $$ so I can start the rebuilding process .. they are testing my patience, but i won't give up

Good Luck to all of you! Be safe!!
{{HUGS}}
Joanne

LOL Kurt
You need any help give a yell. I'm 5 minutes away.

Joanne
I knew you had a little water. Didn't know it was that bad. Sorry you are having trouble with the "Guvmint agencies".
And they are the same folks that will be handling our Health Care. Ain't we the lucky ones.


If you recall, when you were here, we had a nice newly renovated recreation/TV room downstairs. That's where we got the water. I'm running fans now drying it out.

What KIND of plant?

Wow, it sure does sound like a big mess down there. Good to know you all are okay. Time to count our blessings.

there goes the tourist season for Nashville

Opryland Hotel was flooded-fortunately it was evacuated just before the water came in......the downtown honkytonks are also flooded......the residential damage is incredible of course but the residents depend on tourism so we are really screwed in every way.........I reckon they might fly in Donovan for a relief concert....Hail Atlantis....

below is link for the Nashville paper

http://www.tennessean.com/


Tom

Yep
Has Obama even acknowledged we have a problem?

The heavens have opened up to punish us for using autotune.

... and the number system.

...and Roy Acuff.

....and those fake plastic straw cowboys hats they sell near the Tonks!

oh well just gotta rework the tourist marketing program I guess

come for the canals and gondola rides

O SOLE' MIO-Y'ALL



Tom

Hi Bill -
so sorry for your mess! Yes... it IS a mess!! Ohhh .. your new room! I hope you can salvage it...
Its the feeling of helplessness ... bailing water not nearly as fast as it was coming in ... finally realized, it was best to just let it flow ...
I made out better than some people here in RI who lost their homes... my lower level (family room & basement ) are damaged pretty bad .. carpet was pulled out during the storm ... wall boards have to be replaced as well as bathroom vanity and other wood work ... threw out lots of things I probably should have thrown out years ago .. LOL
You should be wearing a mask when working in that water!! I got sick as a dog with bronchitis!!!
But i didn't have to leave my home ... and i wasn't hurt.

Thoughts and prayers to all in TN dealing with the floods..
Be safe!
Joanne

ooh, that's bad.

Kurt - and all - I have seen the news reports and I have been thinking of you all. Prayers from Nebraska. I hope you are ok.


Tom

I didn't realize just how bad it was -- just saw the pictures of downtown. I'm up here in PA thinking about you all down there in TN. Hope all our JPF folks are safe and drying out.

Didn't you guys get a weird snowfall this winter as well?

If the waters are receding, there's still time to clean up for the tourist season this summer......hopefully.......!

thanks to all who expressed condolences about this.......

alot of people really got hurt in various ways-losing homes-business property-income and all......

thanks for your thoughts of them....

Nashville will Rise Again!


Tom

It certainly isn't funny for those that are in the path of the rains as well as the tornados that tore thru Mississippi and other places. I and my wife have been lucky throught the years in not going thru some of these disasters.

It just says that mother nature is still in charge in case anybody is wondering. I saw the pictures and it looked just like New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. All the best everybody.

I thought it was for the "Guns In Bars" legislation.

They don't call this the "Volunteer state" for nothing. People are already cleaning up. Most of the grocery stores are back in business and collecting ice, water, food, pet supplies, etc. There are crews going everywhere restoring everything. People clean up and go on. We don't wait around for the government to come in and save us. You won't find anyone on roofs with signs down here. And most people know how to get out of the way of a storm when it is coming with a lot of devistation. Most roads are reopened and already insurance agents are on the way.

I would be willing to bet that a month from now you won't be able to find much evidence of the flood. There will be things, houses and such that take a while to dry out but for the most part this is a pretty resiliant town and people. We help each other here.


Polly, two weeks ago, Kurt sent me an e-mail for an anniversery party he was having. I had a lot going on that day and was at the grocery store and got him a hanging plant for his anniversery. Then a bunch of stuff came up and I couldn't make his party. Then he sends an e-mail telling me that I had the wrong date. It was the next week. So I put the plant in the yard and forgote about it.

The party was supposed to be this past Sunday, with all the rain. At one part, I look out and there is the plant getting drenched. But it actually seems to have survived. Like most the things around here. We all actually pick up and go on about our lives.

We've had tornados, big storms, floods before, and we will probably have them again. Memphis is above the New Madrid fault line so they will probably get hit by an earthquake at some point. Price of living.


MAB

PS: And no, the Federal government has not even mentioned us yet. Good. Keep them the Hell out of here. Nobody can screw things up like the Feds.

MAB

That's what Randy Rayburn thinks too. LOL. Truth is, there are PLENTY of guns in bars. It is only the law-abiding citizens who don't have them.

Keep your powder dry.

Marc, the feds are going to help. The government is going to fund a study on rain to see why it gets things wet.

Marc
I have to agree the folks here will take care of business as needed but without flood insurance many are going to be in real trouble. As much as I hate to say it they will be in real trouble without Government assistance.
There are literally thousands of homes that will not be "dried out" they will be razed and new homes built in their place.
This will take years to rebuild.
A foot or two of water is one thing, when it is in the attic or simply washed away down the road it is a whole nother story.

What is really interesting is Sylvia and I looked at a LOT of houses in the flooded areas when we were trying to find a house in 2007. Many of the houses we looked at are no doubt under water, literally, now.
Just plain dumb luck we did not buy one of them. We bought on top of the mountain instead of the valley.
It has given us a whole new way of looking at things if we decide to buy another "Farm"

Experience here is RI found that many people who DID have flood insurance, there damages were still not covered .. turned out to be so many loopholes to qualify .. rain must have come in through the bathroom window sideways after sliding down the chimney stack It was rediculous!

Hopefully, you will hear something soon .. getting the gvt money has been very frustrating, but rebuilding without it would be tough.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't all flood insurance a government program. I guess in a way it's good they messed up national flood insurance because it shows them what to do to make national health care work! Yippee! I feel safe and secure from all alarm!

Signing Jessica Simpson to a country deal.

Glad to hear everyone is O.K! How are things looking around the Commodore? I heard there was flooding in the Vanderbilt area.

I'm a little disappointed in the news media. There is basically no coverage of the looting.

Bob
I think that area is OK. That area is a about a hundred feet above the river. If they had any flooding it would be localized or the result of the storm sewers not being able to handle the water.

Bill,

You continue to look for something to happen that doesn't happen.Number one, the Federal Government does not do inside the US emergencies well. They usually screw up much more than they help.

Number two, this state did not vote for Obama. Hell will freeze over before any Federal assistance will be coming.

Those that don't have flood insurance are going to have a tough time. Like Joanie say's the loopholes are long and hard.

The press is not going to cover the looting unless a bunch of Tea Party Activists or out there.

You have to quit looking for help where it is not going to come from.

MAB

Marc I cant believe an otherwise intelligent person actually said that TN wont get any federal disaster help cause it didnt vote for Obama......





Tom

Tom,

Look, use your eyes. There is no mention of this state. There is no attention to this state. It is a southern state. not even on the radar screen. That is just one of the reasons. Doesn't take a brain scientist to recognize that. Don't go looking for things that don't happen. Same as music. Don't go expecting things. You'll never be dissapointed. Take care of yourself and don't expect anything. All you have to do is a little research and you will see it.

Now you can call me unintelligent and I may be. But just watch and see what happens. If anything good happens from the Federal Government I will be pleasently surprised. Very surprised.

But man, if you think they give one iota of care about this state, you have been living a little too sheltered. Get out around the US and see the attitudes. Should see it pretty quickly.

MAB

I think in Kurt's case, homeowners insurance will cover water damage because it came in from the roof. That's what happened with me after hurricane Charlie. Flood insurance is different.

I thought I heard on tonight's news that several areas have already been desigated disater areas.

FEMA moved very quick with the RI flood... at least quick getting the ball rolling .. then i got stuck

OH.....oh....oh. I know how I felt during/after Katrina and Rita, and it's so @#*$&( helpless.

You take each minute, each hour, watching the water and trying to save/move what you can, and have several plans of action for whatever might happen - and then you just take it a moment at a time anyway. You get through it.

Then - the flooding is over. Salvage, cleanup. Back to work, adapting to the situation.

LATER is when it really starts to hit; when you're blasted by exhaustion and reality kicks in. Material losses may be large, small, or HUGE, and yet you know "it could have been so much worse."

You thank God that you and those you love are alive and OK. You feel a tenuous truce with nature...for the time being, because you know Mother Nature really can come back and KICK YOUR ASS any time she feels like it. (And she's not moody, she's bipolar.) You go from one day to the next, just doing what needs to be done.

Life won't be normal again, but you realize it never really was in the first place. So there's a new normal. It takes time. You bite the bullet and pay the blasted insurance premiums (that have gone through the roof) and be grateful that you can GET insurance. You learn new and interesting things about flood insurance, homeowner's insurance, windstorm insurance, and the myriad ways that water can enter a home (and whatever way you THINK you're covered for...the insurance adjuster says "no, that's NOT covered!")

I CAN tell you this about the emotional, material, financial recovery from something like this:
--It gets better. It takes a while, but it does.
--It will get worse before it gets better. Hang on.
--Cry. It helps. So does screaming, but not AT anybody, OK? (except maybe the insurance adjuster...)
--Find SOMETHING positive to think about! You might be surprised at how many things you find.

It took me a very long time to feel hope again after Rita - BUT I DID!! I pray that it will be easier for our JPF family in Tennessee and beyond.

God bless you all, and keep you safe.
Brenda

I haven't heard anything about looting. In fact, I was gonna brag on the lack of it in Nashville vs. the looting in New Orleans after Katrina.

I love Nashville but I think overall more people may have been displaced by Katrina. I also think of Des Moines which was out of water for a month back int he 90s. Even Macon, GA was without water for two weeks or longer.

The Nashville/TN floods are a tragic event to be sure. Marc, I hope you're wrong about the federal funds. I think they'll come through regardless of how they voted in 2008. This year's elections and the biggie in 2012 are just around the corner after all.

Another sad story from Katrina is/was the devastation in Mississippi. You heard a lot more about Orleans but Biloxi had the damage but not the standing water.

There was a little looting at the Farmer's Market, but that's all that I've heard.

Hey Brenda ..
gosh .. i wanted to quote your entire post ... very nicely stated; so true.
Thank you for sharing.
Putting things into perspective, my recovering from the recent flooding in RI is small compared to that of Katrina, yet.. in my own world the feelings are the same as I try to recover...
You are right .. the 'exhaustion' is overwheling .. but funny thing, it doesn't kick in while you are working in 'survival mode' ...

All the best...
Joanne

I know that what we went through was a sunny day compared to what some folks in Nashville are dealing with, but anybody who compares what's going on in Nashville to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans is on crack...

Likewise, anybody who refers to Marc Alan Barnette as "otherwise intelligent" is probably also on some serious mind-altering substances. LOL

yes Kurt you are right

my drug useage is at such epic proportions that-aside from his political views-I do consider Marc to be an intelligent person.......so I guess I have obvously hit rock bottom and should now consider rehab.....

Tom

Don't accuse me of that!
I might not be wrong, but I won't ever be right.

According to Chief of Police Ronald Serpas, there has been a total of twenty reports of looting, and of those, some turned out to be false...neighbors checking up, etc.

The Katrina devastation was worse, but the press coverage was a lot larger. I have to agree with Marc to a certain extent on the press side. They made it a point that Pres. Bush was at fault because he didn't act fast enough. The head of FEMA was history. They blasted Bush for flying over New Orleans in a helicopter and not landing, meanwhile Congressman William Jefferson used a National Guard helicopter to retrieve $90,000 in "cold cash" from his house.

Robert Kennedy Jr. even said that the formation of Katrina was Bushes fault because he didn't sign the Kyoto treaty ( while this elitist flies around on his private jet).

There was an article today in USA Today about the Nashville flood concerning jail inmates helping with the cleanup.

Why isn't the press concerned about the Govt's delay with the Gulf oil spill? All they are doing is threatening and bad mouthing BP. I live on the Gulf coast. Like Nashville, we're preparing volunteers to help clean the beaches if it gets this far.

I identify with Brenda. Hurricane Charlie (Aug. 13th 2004, first hurricane to hit here since 1961) blew off 3/4 of my roof. No power for 5 days. I had to stand in line for 2 hours at Home Depot the next day to buy felt to dry in my roof. They were running on a generator and only letting in 2 or 3 customers at a time before they ran out of supplies. My house was hot, moldy and unlivable ( but I still stayed there) until I (not the Government) made the repairs and eventual renovations.

I think one reason national press coverage is failing TN right now...the big historic looming oil slick that's still growing and making landfall right now.

That's the problem with headline news...only makes room for one headline.

Anyways, hate to see what's going on in one of my favorite cities. Hang in there and take care!

-Ethan

I am just now looking at pictures of Music city online..wow. I didn't know the flooding was so bad. (NOT seeming to say anything on the news...which blows me away!)

There were several pictures of areas I recognise from being there in October. One from the Hard Rock, as we ate Dinner at the Big River Grille, across from there, water everywhere..
...and I stood right there at the bridge fondly admiring Music City..now.....what a mess!!!
To anyone living in this, I am so sorry and hope you get back to normal or as close as you can very soon....Keep safe and be strong...HUGS!!!!

God Bless!!

Kimberly

I don't think it is a good idea to compare one catastrophe with another.
The mine explosion two weeks ago killed more people than this flood did in Nashville. Does that mean it was worse? Katrina left about 60,000 people homeless and killed about 1600 in and around New Orleans. Does that make it worse. I guess so. But I bet the 10 Nashville folks who died, or their families, wouldn't think so, nor would the thousands who lost there homes.
And the few businesses down by the river in Nashville are only a small fraction of the story.
Centerville, where the first few Pineyfest's were held, is 60 miles from Nashville. Bobbie and Dawg lived there on the Piney River. That area was flooded. Homes were destroyed and people displaced all along the winding Duck river and beyond that. The Harpeth river the same, the Buffalo river, the Cumberland river and many small creeks and tributaries became raging torrents during this event.
My Neighbor has a friend at Kentucky Lake who had a tree fall on his house.
There are far more areas flooded besides Nashville. Clarksville is Flooded. There's is a stretch of road along Lickton pike that goes to Goodlettesville that I am sure is flooded. I use that road all the time. It is in a valley. The creek runs right along side that road.
I don't think the amount of devastation will be known for a week or two and I wouldn't be surprised if they find more bodies.
But of course Katrina was worse. But why try to compare one to the other. Is it a "My Dad is tougher than your Dad thing.

Middle Tennessee, and that is a very big area, has suffered a terrible blow. It is far worse than most of the country thinks it is.

The other thing that people fail to understand is the Federal Government is NOT the first line of defense or response in these matters. The local community is. Then the city, then the county, then the state, then the Federal Government.
This flood came on very fast. No one expected this.
Even if they did there was nothing could be done short of evacuation. And that would not have saved the homes.

I think it Sad that Obama never even bothered to mention it but it doesn't surprise me. But that's personal.

I'm still waiting for the pictures of people carrying much needed Flat Screen TV's out of the stores they are looting.

No one is comparing the devastation. Just the press coverage and government response.

Hi Ben
I wasn't pointing fingers at anyone. But throughout this thread and the other one people keep bringing up other disasters and comparing them to this one Whether it be the Gummint response, the news media coverage, Bush, Obama, etc.
I was just thinking it really doesn't work to compare them. Each has it's own tragedies and difficulties.

No problem Bill. Seems like the old political board seeps into the other boards (no pun intended). Hope the water is receding well.

from the front page of the MSNBC.COM website

Nashville flood damage could top 1 Billion Dollars

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/



Tom

I have faith that the great people of Nashville will pick themselves up and recover quickly. I would expect nothing less from some of the greatest people I've ever met.

Hi,
I have been asked by friends, family and SongU.com members from around the world how they can help those in TN affected by the flood. I realize it's hard to completely understand the magnitude of what happened here. I live here and I can't comprehend it. This was a historical record rainfall for Nashville and middle TN. We had more rain than we've ever had since they began tracking rainfall. We topped the state's record for rainfall in the entire month of May before sundown on May 2nd. We had about 40% of Seattle's annual rainfall in less than 2 days. If this was snow, we would have had the equivalent of 13 feet of snow in less than 48 hours. This is not a once-in-a-while kind of flood. No, this one's in the record books. It's a once-every-hundred-or-two-hundred-years kind of flood.

The devastation is so widespread, it's unbelievable. You would probably have to submerge my entire home state of NJ in water to cover as much area as this flood has covered in TN. While a few of these areas are flood prone, the majority are not and a large portion of the people affected do not have flood insurance. Just to give you a better picture of my little world, I could easily draw a one-hour radius from my house and barely scratch the surface of people affected. Across the road from our development, one of our daughter's elementary school teachers lost everything in the flood. Just up the street at the Fieldstone Farms development, they were rescuing people in boats - one house in Fieldstone caught fire and blew up. Drive south for about 30 minutes, you would get to my friend Dale and Carol's farm which is home to the annual Blackberry Jam Festival where Michael McDonald played a couple years ago. Their entire first floor of their house was submerged in water. It took a group of four of us about 3 hours just to clean the mud out of one bathroom in their house. Drive west about 40 minutes and you'll get to Bellevue, an area I lived in when I first moved to Nashville. Entire neighborhoods are underwater. Our friend Gary and Robin's house managed to escape with about a foot of water, but the rest of their cul-de-sac was submerged. Cars were floating upside down on the road in front of the nearby Belle Meade Kroger. Two people died when their car turned over. Two others drowned behind the Belle Meade Kroger. Head northeast about 40 minutes to Hermitage and you'd get to my friend Denise's house. The water level is at the top of her garage -- she needs a boat just to reach her house. Head north another 30-40 minutes to Goodlettsville and Hendersonville and you'll find the houses of some of my students and faculty at the college where I teach that were destroyed due to the flood.

Somewhere in the center of all this is downtown Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame, the Schermerhorn Center, Broadway and Second Avenue all flooded. The Titans Stadium where my seven year old daughter, Mia, ran the Country Kids Marathon a week ago was flooded up to the level of the first row of seats in the stadium. Other historic landmarks that are synonymous with Nashville are badly flooded and damaged, including Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry. It is going to take a lot of time and resources for Nashville and all the areas affected by this catastrophic flood to recover. Here are some ways you can help:

Donate money. You can donate to the middle TN Red Cross online at http://www.middletennredcross.org. If you're a texter, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 on your cell and a $10 donation will be sent to the middle TN Red Cross through your cell phone provider.

Donate stuff. People lost everything. While you can't replace possessions with sentimental value, you can give someone a shirt to wear or sneakers for their kids or towels or rags so they can clean the mud out of their bathtub. If you're on Facebook, check out the clothing drive for middle TN residents at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=113883681985618&ref=ts or the cleaning supply drive at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=111188545589696

Participate in clean up crews. If you live within driving distance and have the time or skills and want to help cleanup and rebuild, go to Hands-On-Nashville at http://www.hon.org They need volunteers immediately.

Donate food. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN is continuing to provide a central distribution center for companies, groups, and individuals to help provide food for Middle Tennessee's affected families. Check it out at: http://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/

Plan to visit. Nashville is a great city that has many businesses and jobs that depend on tourism. Come see us. Plan your next family summer vacation or next year's business conference here. Check out the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for more information at http://www.nashvillechamber.com/Homepage.aspx

Spread the word. Others may not necessarily realize how bad we were hit because of the way the media industry and news organizations work. People are going to need assistance down here for a long time in order to rebuild their lives and restore our historical landmarks like the Grand Ole Opry, Opryland Hotel, Country Music Hall of Fame and historic Second Avenue.

For more information on how you can help visit: http://nashvillest.com/2010/05/03/so-nashville-is-flooded-how-can-i-help/comment-page-2/
I love Nashville. It's a big name city that has a small town feel. Contrary to its sequined, cowboy hat and boots image, Nashville is an incredibly diverse city where the music industry, universities, and lifestyle brings together people from all walks of life, whether they're writing a song or watching a TN Titans or UT football game. We have one other thing in common - we love our city. If you've seen some of the videos and pictures that have been posted, you can probably see why we are referred to as the "Volunteer State." When the time calls for it, we simply roll up our sleeves and get down to it because there is work to be done. And there is much work to be done. One of my friends who works at one of the major media outlets in the New York-Metropolitan area relayed to me that Nashville hasn't been getting a lot of national coverage because our story lacks the "hook" of some of the other currently hot issues like the oil spill and the bomb in Times Square. I get that. I'm a longtime songwriter who certainly understands the power of a "hook". Truthfully, even if we had our "15 minutes" of full-court press media coverage, it wouldn't begin to touch how many months or years this recovery is going to take. And it could never cover how many lives have been affected. So spread the word and pass it on. From donations to positive energy and prayers, it is all welcome and needed. This is my city and these are my friends and neighbors.
Best wishes,

-Danny
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Some proof that these fine folks are helping each other not waiting on Obama rama ding dongs for help.

This is how I feel about it.

MAB

THIS IS TENNESSEE
VOLUNTEERS ADD NEW CHAPTER TO STORIED HISTORY

by Brent High

On May 1st and 2nd of 2010 a historic amount of rain, as much as 17 inches, fell on middle Tennessee and the city of Nashville in less than 48 hours. Historians are using terms like “thousand year flood” to describe what took place here. The Cumberland River, Nashville’s main waterway, crested at just over 51 feet, flooding iconic structures including the Grand Ole Opry, LP Field and Bridgestone Arena where the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators play, Country Music Hall of Fame and the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The water rose so much, so fast and in places water has never been seen that thousands had to be rescued by boat. Dozens lost their lives. Thousands of homeowners lost everything they had. Thousands more are now trying to salvage what’s left. Most had no flood insurance because before May 1st they didn’t need it where they lived. Early estimates are that the damage will top $1 billion and this storm will go down as the most devastating non-hurricane event in American history.

This is Tennessee.

It’s Monday, May 3rd. The rain has stopped, finally. What happens next shouldn’t come as a surprise. Almost instinctively, after a long night of restlessness, volunteers spring into action. It’s in their blood. They’ve been trained to do so by their parents and grandparents. From Waverly to Cookeville, Winchester to Cross Plains and in the capital city of Nashville the sights and sounds are the same.

Without being asked, fishermen launch their boats into the muddy soup, joining the rescue efforts. Business owners and supervisors tell their employees to take the day off and jump in and help wherever they can. Neighbors, many of whom helped empty entire houses in brigade fashion the night before, transition into cleanup mode. Sump pumps and generators whirr. Drywall, carpet and ruined floors are ripped out. Elderly ladies gather at the church to make lunches for workers. Teenagers distribute bottled water. Pickup trucks, trailers and storage units are loaded with what could be salvaged. Photos and documents are spread out in the sun to dry. Wads of $20 bills are slid into pockets of those affected. Checks are written. Hugs are given. Prayers are said. Tears are shed.

This is Tennessee.

Almost 200 years ago Tennessee first earned the nickname “Volunteer State.” In 1812 More than 2,000 Tennesseans volunteered to fight for Andrew Jackson and were the main part of Jackson’s army that destroyed the British three years later in the Battle of New Orleans. A generation later the U. S. Secretary of War asked Tennessee for 2,800 soldiers to fight a war against Mexico. 30,000 volunteered.

This is a state where faith comes first. We don’t ask why. We know there is a reason and look forward to it being revealed. We are guided by scriptures such as Philippians 2:3-5 which says:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus.”

Family is a focus, not an afterthought. Don’t bother trying to do business with us the week of Christmas or July 4th. We’ll be with family. When our kids have a school play we will be there. We throw big birthday parties. We teach our kids right from wrong and aren’t afraid to give them a whippin’ when they need it.

Here we say “Yes ma’am” and “No ma’am.” We try to leave a place better than we found it. We put our hand over our heart when the national anthem is played. We pull over on the side of the road when funeral processions pass on the other side.

We are savvy business people. We are farmers. We are teachers.

We drink Coke here. We like gravy with our biscuits and potatoes.

We are serious about our sports. We keep score in little league and we still have all-star teams and MVP trophies.

We are givers.

You won’t hear us wailing about where the federal government and insurance companies were in all of this. We’ll get by just fine without them.

Right now we have a lot to deal with here in our backyard. We will handle it with dignity and class. We will sacrifice for each other in ways that are unfathomable to most. We will stand together. We will stand tall. We will come out of this stronger than we were before it.

One day in the not too distant future a hurricane, tornado, fire, flood or other unspeakable disaster will strike your community. As you struggle to put the pieces back together we will be there.

We will volunteer.

We are Tennesseans.

This is Tennessee.

Brent High, 36, is a lifelong Tennessean from Nashville. He serves as Assistant Director of Athletics for External Affairs at Lipscomb University.

Marc,

Concerning looting, I think Bill was being "tongue in cheek." The truth is, there has been very little looting here. That is according to the police chief.

Speaking of help, the telethon last night was great. Vince Gill put it together. He donated a hundred thousand dollars. Taylor Swift donated a half million dollars.

Mike,

I didn't see anything on looting. There were 20 reports but they all ended up being neighbors checking on neighbors. The actual biggest thing is how we all come together during times like this.

M

here ya go Bill-heres coverage of the looting

its not widespread grab it all armagedon-but yes we have some looting among all the good things and rebuilding efforts......

here's a story link from my favorite liberal propaganda network-MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37028702

Tom

Mike mentioned Vince Gill. Sorry to deviate but I have to paste this link for one of my favorite's of Vince. LOVE this song!!! Very retro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UU-G9mFBUU

I wish I could get just the bare bones track (bass guitar and drum) of this without other instruments and lyrics because I would love to write a song to that beat!!

LOL Tom
There will always be some dirtballs that will steal anything that isn't nailed down. This would be a perfect opportunity for them. There's also scavengers. They will drive around and look for anything they believe has value and pick it up. Usually these are things left on the curb for anyone to take. Might be hard to figure which is which in this circumstance. But some will try to take advantage of the situation.

For anyone so quick to defame and decry Taylor Swift. She donated $500,000 to the relief effort.

MAB

Yes she did Marc and that should be noted. I don't think anyone doubts she is a sincere, sweet young lady.
On the other hand
It will be kinda equal to me donating S1.00

Still It was good of her to do so.

Or she could have donated nothing.

M

No, I don't think she could have donated nothing. She does not seem like that kind of person.
The amount of the donation is not what matters. To Taylor a half million bucks is just a few days of downloads of her latest big hit.
That she donated, and cares, is what is important.

Ummmm, probably not. According to Parade magazine she made $17.2 million last year. If we just assume for the sake of argument she made double that, she would have made $34 mill (give or take a couple mil). That would mean she gave 1/68 of her last year's earnings. So if you gave $1, it would mean you only made $68 last year. So it's easier for her to give 1/68th than it would be for you or me.

However, Taylor and everyone else pays about the same amount for a gallon of milk--$3.00. So if you bought a gallon you would have only $65 of your annual earnings left and she, even after donating $500K, would have roughly $33 million.

But, Taylor may privately help members of her entourage in ways you and I can't, mainly because we don't have no entourage.

There is also the delimma (I wish I knew how to spell that word) that while you and I may give to a charity we know of, Taylor is confronted by many more situations as she travels down the road of life.

There's no way to reconcile all this stuff. Alan Jackson is doing a concert where profits go to these families affected by that recent mine disaster. Well, profits are what you have after all the bills have been paid. Should he cover all the costs himself and give all moneys to the mine families? Even he donates his usual fee (which may have been included in the "profits" definition), what about on down the road at the next tragedy? There's no way to reconcile all this stuff. Suppose 1,000 people in the U.S. who are dying read about Taylor or Alan and leave their house in a will to the charities?

All I know for sure is everybody in the world other than me makes too much money. You can't reconcile this stuff.

Also, my math in the first paragraph could be wrong. I'm about as good at ciphering as Jethro Bodine, though I do know how to use a spreadsheet and he didn't.

My point is that almost everyone in this state and town are donating money, time, elbow grease, to help out others. And entertainers are among the first to come together. What she did should be applauded instead of ridiculed for a figure.

The world could learn a valuable lesson on self reliance and helping others.

That is all I want to say.

MAB

Lordy Lordy.
You guys are too much.
The only thing I said was it Might seem like a huge amount of money but to someone like Taylor it is not.
I think what she did is great but putting an emphasis on the amount is the wrong thing.
The generosity of her gift and the fact that she donated is what's important.

My wife and I spent the morning volunteering over in Bordeaux (North Nashville) cleaning out a house for a 76 year old woman who lost virtually everything. She had lived in the house for 40 years, and had serious shopaholic and packrat issues. There was a ton of cool vintage stuff still in the original packaging, but it is all destined for the landfill. There were probably a dozen of us, working steady for about 4 hours, just to haul everything out to the curb. Of course, there was no flood insurance. It was very sad...and it was only one of hundreds in that neighborhood. I am counting my blessings.

Kurt
Where did you go to volunteer. I am available for this all week and beyond if needed. I have a truck and tools. I am a retired remodeling carpenter with plumbing and electrical experience as well.
I am eager to help. My stuff here can wait, it is minor in comparison.


EDIT
I just signed up for Flood cleanup in North Nashville/Whites Creek through Hands on Nashville for tomorrow 1PM - 4PM
I'll be near Bordeaux Park area on Hamilton road. Probably the same area you were in.

Hey Mike, Marc, Bill, Kurt, Tom (& Joanne,too!)...My Heart Goes Witchas! Ma Nature has One Hell of a Bladder..it seems.

Not sure WHICH Organ covers our soon-arriving Oil Slick along our Coasts here...but it's sure gonna be one heck of a Memorable Spring & Early-Summer Down-South.

Musta begun with that "Ass in the sand" line...

Wishin' Y'all a Speedy Recovery,
Big Hugs,
Stan

I had no idea how horrible it has been for Nashville and the surrounding areas. I have been working long hours at school and going to bed early for the last several days. I googled and found this report.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36891589/ns/weather/

Halfway down the page is a slideshow with pictures of the devastation that occurred.

Terrible. My heart goes out to all you Nashville folks.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennessean.com%2Farticle%2F20100507%2FBUSINESS01%2F100507075%2FDisaster%2520unemployment%2520insurance%2520is%2520available%2520now&h=92504

The link above is from Danny Arena at Song u in Nashville.
Thanks Danny!

I posted this in the Press Release section, but not many visit that section and thought maybe it would be ok to post that link here as well?


Song Pitchers, ascap is Proud To Pr... To Help Victims Of The Nashville Flood.

Thanks.

I just spent 4 hours tearing out soggy drywall and insulation from a home on North Nashville. This place had 4 feet of water inside the mother in law apartment. The main house sits a little higher The water filled the crawl space and about 6 inches of the main floor. Everything that isn't glass or plastic is lost.
Going Back tomorrow

I'm gonna see it all first hand the 25th. This was supposed to be a pleasure/networking trip, but it might be more than that now.
I'm in the process of putting together a Nashville benefit in Cincy.

Stan , I'm with you TOO brother, considering my vacation spot, and place where my wife and I got married is Anna Maria Island in between Tampa and Sarasota. The whole damn WORLD is falling apart!

more Cabinet members on way to Nashville.......story link from MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37042658


Tom

Well it looks like we weren't so lucky after all.
Started smelling mold so I punched a hole in the drywall downstairs and found it was a lot wetter than we thought.
I'm now removing all the trim and the lower two feet of drywall and insulation. And yep. Mold.
What a pain. I just rebuilt that lower section after we bought the place.

I really impressed with all you guys pitching in and helping. I wish I could do more and I wish I was closer. I did buy a T-Shirt here: http://nashvilleflood.myshopify.com/collections/all -- it ain't much, but it is what I could do now.

If it is declared a federal disaster area, can folks get assistance even if they don't have flood insurance?

Kevin

Kevin
I believe the Fed has declared several counties in Tn disaster ares. Fema has two locations set up for processing claims, one in Nashville and one in Centerville(about 60 miles west of Nashville).
I don't know how it works. Do they give grants or low interest loans. I think some folks just get a check from them.

But it all takes time. Some of these flooded homes haven't been touched yet. I saw one yesterday that looked abandoned. It was a very nice Brick Ranch. There was a sign on the door. It might have been a foreclosure. There's plenty of them around.

I was going to volunteer more but now I have my own problem to face. Most of the lower two feet in my Recreation room and Laundry room will have to be ripped out and redone. It's about 1/3 of my house. I'm just glad I installed 12inch ceramic tile instead of carpet. The tile seems ok.... so far.

Hey Bill -
If Nashville is like the RI flood .. they issued both grants and loans ..
If you haven't done so already...if your home insurance is not covering the damages be sure to go through the process to file a claim and get a denial letter... I didn't do that, and i denied a grant, stating my damage was not disaster related.. I am in process of appealing ..
I have been offered a loan at 2.6% to be paid back over 18yrs.. when my renovations are complete SBL will refigure my loan based on only the amount I actually used...
This time i will put tile of some type down rather than carpet! ugh!!
The paper work is HORRENDOUS!! like buying house! But i won't give up!! Hah!

Good Luck to you!

Hi Joanne
I won't bother with the feds. I can do the work myself and the labor is most of the cost. It's just a pain to have to redo something I built 18 months ago.
Besides I need the exercise

Sorry your process is so difficult.
If you do decide to put down some type ceramic or paver tile don't use an adhesive. Use something concrete based, like Thin Set. Water won't hurt it.