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[AtlantaBelle]

PLEASE help spread the word about the RADIOTHON that is going on NOW to benefit Middle TN!

[AtlantaBelle]

We have been DEVASTATED in a lot of areas and every little bit helps! NO ONE is still mentioning us and both rivers are still at flood level. People are still trapped, lost EVERYTHING and there are over 20 dead to this point.

PLEASE follow the link above, listen live, make a donation and help spread the word!

SO much attention for New Orleans and Haiti but NO mention of this RADIOTHON anywhere!

PLEASE help spread the word!

[chuckles]

I'll donate, but just to get the usual crap going,....lets see, why did they build knowing it could flood? Did they have flood insurance? Why would they be allowed to re build where they know it floods,....yada yada yada. I have to listen to this from everyone else when a hurricane hits Texas, so I figured I would just get it started. We know what devastation is down here, but it always ends up how stupid we are for living here and the government shouldn't allow us to rebuild on our own property.

Seriously, our prayers are going out and our money will follow. We received much needed help from all over the US after Rita, Katrina, and Ike, but the inevitable idiot always starts chiming in when the bodies are buried. We have earthquakes and fires in California, floods almost everywhere else, ice storms, tornado's and hurricanes in the remaining areas. I never can figure out where these complainers live. My money is on NYC and DC. Oh yeah, I wouldn't allow people to live there because they may be blown up by terrorists.

[Vigilantcitizen]

I don’t know about the Tenn. flood, but I know that when it flooded here in Ga last Sept, places flooded that weren’t in a flood plain. When you get 24” of rain in 48 hours, when the little 12’ wide creek rises 20 feet above flood stage, there ain’t much anyone can do.

[AtlantaBelle]

I hear what you are saying but this is being described as a “once in a 1,000 yr flood”. People in Bellevue KNEW they were near the Harpeth River but were told they didnt qualify for FLOOD insurance. That has been stated over and over by people who lost everything..including a submerged house as they were interviewed coming out of the rescue boats!

I NEVER begrudge to give to someone who has experienced a national disaster. Sometimes I hold my nose, but at that time, I think: what if it was me? This time it COULD have been me..I am in the middle of Nashville but happen to live on a hill.

THANK YOU to anyone who is going to donate. I encourage you to listen as well...

[RedMDer]

A few photos from Clarkville, TN taken by our daughter.

[AtlantaBelle]

Franklin to Clarksville and most points in between are like this. You can have a completely normal looking neighborhood and then in a mile the above. It is so sad!

PLEASE spread the word about the RADIOTHON today.
Some GREAT news, they reached the point where ClearChannel is matching funds! PLEASE GIVE!

[Think free or die]

We were visiting family in Jackson, TN on Friday, and left early Saturday. There was a lot more rain after we left, but Rt 412 was already barely passable at 7:30am. The fields on each side were completely flooded, and water was encroaching onto the roadway. At several points, all but half a lane was flooded. I can’t imagine how things must have deteriorated after we left. We had been visiting Lavinia, Spring Creek, and Huntingdon on Friday. The kids were joking about why it was named Spring Creek, when they didn’t see any springs or creeks . . . by Saturday all those areas were heavily flooded, and Huntingdon was completely cut off by flooded roads. Incredible really. Our relatives told us they’d never experienced anything like it in their lifetimes (and several of them are in their 70’s). Few communities are able to deal with 8-10 or more inches of rain in such a short time.

[AtlantaBelle]

RECOVERY EFFORTS EXPAND AS CUMBERLAND RIVER BEGINS TO RECEDE NASHVILLE , Tenn. – Mayor Dean outlined the expansion of recovery efforts as the Cumberland River begins to recede. The Cumberland River crested between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, May 3. The water is expected to continue to recede slowly and return back below flood level (40 feet) before the end of the week. The Army Corps of Engineers continues to release water from the dam as part of its normal course of operation. MetroCenter is improving and pumping of water away from levee continues today. MetroCenter and First Avenue downtown remain evacuated at this time. Second Harvest Food Bank is relocating its food supply from its MetroCenter location to Nashville International Airport , which is being used for storage, staging and distribution efforts. Coordination meetings related to the evacuated areas continue and updates will be forthcoming. In the meantime, it is vitally important that citizens stay out of these evacuated areas. Hands On Nashville Volunteer Efforts Nashvillians have and will continue to make remarkable contributions as flood volunteers. In the last 48 hours, more than 7,000 volunteers have registered with Hands On Nashville. Today they will begin staffing Disaster Information Centers and distributing Second Harvest’s Emergency Food Boxes in critical areas, like Antioch , East Nashville , and Opryland/Donelson. As clean-up and recovery continues, the use of volunteers will increase dramatically. If you are interested in serving as a flood volunteer, please register at www.hon.org. Donations Very specific donation requests include large quantities of the following: diapers, formula, cleaning supplies and rubber gloves, wet vacs, brooms, mops, and generators. If citizens have large quantities, they should contact the Community Foundation. FEMA Update As citizens start cleanup efforts, it is important to document everything and keep receipts. As soon as FEMA assistance is available, the public will be provided with information about how they can apply for assistance. FEMA will have 800 numbers and Web sites. Shelter Update The shelter in Bellevue located at 655 Colice-Jeanne Road is full and has closed. All other shelters remain open. Bellevue citizens are encouraged to seek shelter at Gordon Jewish Community Center located at 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Citizens Encouraged to Check on Neighbors Dr. Paul encourages congregations and neighbors to check on elderly residents in their homes and report those to Metro Health. Elderly neighbors who have been sheltering may need medical assistance or other services. If citizens find a senior with medical emergency they should call 911 and other assistance needs should be directed to211. Nashville Electric Service All circuits coming out of the East Network substation of the Demonbreun substation are out of service. All businesses in the area from Fifth Avenue to First Avenue and from Demonbreun Street to Commerce Street are without power. Power will be out for the next few days downtown due to water in underground vaults. NES has 54 crews working the current outages, and 3,500 total customers without power. Consumer Advisory Citizens should be aware of contractors and others who may claim to be associated with local, state or federal agencies. One reported case involves people claiming to be Metro Codes inspectors. Note that all Metro Codes inspectors travel in Metro vehicles. If they are on foot, Metro Codes inspectors will have Metro IDs as proof of their association with Metro. Citizens are cautioned to only work with licensed contractors and to seek multiple bids before having repairs done. To report suspected consumer fraud, file a report with the Tennessee Consumer Affairs Division at http://tn.gov/consumer/index.shtml. Status of Omohundro Water Plant and Continued Need for Water Conservation All Metro Water customers continue to receive services, and there are no outages reported at this time. The public water supply provided by Metro Water continues to be safe, but there is some concern that Nashville could experience a water shortage if conservation measures are not taken. Customers are directed to use water for drinking and food preparation only. The Omohundro Water Treatment Plant continues to operate at normal capacity. The sandbagging operation is maintaining flood protection. However, with the K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant out of operation, it is imperative that citizens conserve water. Lack of conservation efforts has resulted in a 15 percent loss of reserves. Customers in higher elevations may experience reduced water pressure. If a customer loses pressure completely or has discolored water, they should contact Metro Water Services at (615) 862-4600. Harpeth Valley Utilities District treatment plant has also been affected by the flood and their customers are asked to conserve water for essential uses as well. Bottled Water Distribution Metro Southeast is being used as a staging area for distribution of donated bottled water to area mobile feeding stations at St. Edwards Church and Bellevue Baptist Church . Walmart, Sam’s Club, Purity Dairies, and Kroger have donated bottled water. No additional fatalities reported at this time The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management has confirmed a total of ten fatalities in Davidson County that are thought to be flood related. Red Cross Shelters Remain Open All Red Cross shelters remain open as the operation moves from response to recovery. Damage assessments are being conducted by interdepartmental teams that will provide information to enable long term planning. Juvenile Court Cancelled All proceedings at Juvenile Court are cancelled for Wednesday, May 5. Road Closure Update No new updates. Public Works is working mudslides and debris and gravel removal. Disaster Information Centers and Assistance Open Today at Noon Community-based response for social and human services has begun in coordination with the Metro EOC and Nashville Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Today at noon Metro will open two Disaster Information Centers to provide general information on utilities, social service assistance, and legal and insurance information. Centers will be staffed by volunteers, Parks Department and other Metro employees. Citizens can drop by for information from 12-8pm. Bellevue Community Center 656 Colice Jeanne Rd. 37221 Coleman Community Center 384 Thompson Lane 37211 We will have Salvation Army mobile feeding stations available nearby at St. Edwards Church and Bellevue Baptist Church to provide lunch and dinner for individuals and families who need information support. These centers will not be equipped for medical assistance. Citizens who need emergency assistance are urged to call 911. Metro continues to coordinate volunteers through Hands On Nashville www.hon.org. The most urgent need continues to be cash donations, which can be made to the Metro Disaster Fund at www.cfmt.org ### Janel Lacy Press Secretary Office of the Mayor

[fullchroma]

Meteorologists are calling this a “once-in-a-thousand year flood.”

Flood insurance was unavailable to most area homeowners as the land was deemed not to be in a floodplain.

No one could see this coming, unlike Katrina where they had days to prepare.

[OrangeDaisy]

I'll donate, but just to get the usual crap going,....lets see, why did they build knowing it could flood? Did they have flood insurance?

I know you were being somewhat sarcastic, but I'll answer you anyway.

First, many of the homes that flooded are not the 500-year flood plain, much less the 100-year flood plain. We had somewhere between 14 & 18 inches of rain in 48 hours. That's three months worth of rain in 2 days. There was no way the watershed could hold it. They are calling it a 1000 year event.

Secondly, if you are outside the flood plain, you cannot get flood insurance. I have never heard so many people who lost their homes say they tried to get flood insurance and they were denied it. It is a federal program, and the federal government will not let you have it unless you meet strict criteria. You cannot get private flood insurance. My brother tried to get it because the area he lives in is flat, and it floods mildly whenever there is a large amount of rainfall. He has a large drainage ditch separating his backyard from the neighborhood behind him. The builder assured him many multiple times that it was large enough to handle huge amounts of rainfall, and up until now it has, but it could not handle 14 inches in 2 days.

[AtlantaBelle]

This is the same story told by almost every one who got out of the rescue boats in Bellevue..they could not GET flood insurance.

We left for Atlanta at 8am on Saturday for a weekend trip to see the Braves. It was storming but not unlike any normal Spring thunderstorm. NOTHING of what was to come.

We got to Atlanta, went to the game, out to supper, then back to the hotel. We could NOT believe what had happened in 13 HOURS.

We left Atlanta at 1pm on Sunday. Got as far as Manchester TN to find 24W to Nashville was CLOSED. It was STILL storming and raining and this was almost 24 HOURS later.

We checked into a hotel, stayed the night and got up on Monday to come home. Our neighborhood took creek and storm damage. Less than 8 miles from here, there are people whose homes are under water in Bellevue. Less than 4 miles from here, downtown Nashville is underwater.

PLEASE GIVE AND HELP GET THE WORD OUT!

[OrangeDaisy]

The Cumberland crested in Nashville at 52 feet, 12 feet above flood stage, the highest it has ever risen in the TVA / Corp of Engineers flood control era. It has not even come close to that since the area dams were built.

[AtlantaBelle]

“24 HOURS later.”

Meant 36 HOURS later.

[chuckles]

To all replies to me, It WAS sarcasm. I may have learned something anyway. Each of the replies said they COULDN'T get insurance, but it was my impression that EVERYONE should be able to get flood insurance, it just COSTS MORE. I'll have to check on that. As I moved out of the flood plain, my wife tried to get it bust said it was outrageous and we probably won't need it where we live. I thought the gubmint wanted everyone to get it, but I must be mistaken. The insurance on the Gulf Coast is subsidized, so we figured the inland policy would be reasonable,.....WRONG!! Maybe they don't sell it in Tenn. I don't know. I learned many years ago that if it has ever flooded, it will again at some point. We got a tropical storm in 1979 and the water was higher then than any of the 5-6 hurricanes I rode out. 24 inches in 24 hours if I remember right. Nobody could survive that unless you are on a hill.

I haven't checked yet, but I will imagine that the insurance was available but too expensive for the risk.

I was just being tacky because after each hurricane the talking heads keep griping that we shouldn't be allowed to rebuild where we may have lived all our lives. My heart breaks for these people because I've been there in their shoes. It looks bad, but we survive by the grace of God. It makes you look at your values when some lose loved ones and others just property. You can get your property back in most cases, but family.......makes you hug them more. Take them fishing and camping more and leave the McMansion needing paint. It'll get painted when it gets painted.