JPF Home Page Forums Southeast US Chapter Message Boards Nashville Chapter Message Board Help Nashville Flood Relief NOW!!!

Please re-post all over the message boards, to your email lists, fan lists, etc. Make the information enclosed in this message a viral phenomenon. Music City needs your help!!!

I hope by now that you have heard about the devastating flooding that has occurred here in Nashville, TN. The national media has been slow in covering this event (we got trumped by the worst oil leak ever & a would-be bomber). While I really don't mean to complain, I am very concerned that their delayed coverage is affecting fundraising and communications for important flood relief efforts needed throughout the city.

Let me explain that this was no average flood! It is being described as a 500 year flood. We received over 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. Even if the swollen rivers or creeks didn't flood residents, many were flooded by simple ground saturation from being inundated by rains.

I am sure many JPFolks members across Mid-State TN have been affected. Everyone I have talked to knows someone that lost EVERYTHING. These people are sorting through soggy belongings, insurance (and very few have flood insurance), FEMA, and grief.

There was a flash flood that hit sooo fast on I-24W that people literally got trapped in their cars as the flood waters poured over the road. One man drowned. The others got out but their cars (60-70 cars) were bobbing around lifted many feet off the road from the waters. As this occurred, a mobile classroom trailer flooded out from a nearby school floated past
them down the interstate.

Opryland Hotel, the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Mills Mall, the brand new beautiful symphony hall, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Wildhorse Saloon, LP Field (where the Titans play), Bridgestone Arena, & a good bit of downtown all went under water as did an UNREAL amount of residential areas all over the city. This event was not contained to one specific area in Music City. Even Vanderbilt Childrens' Hospital's lobby was filled with water early on. Weather predictors anticipated storms with
hard rains of up to 7 inches. Turns out, we got 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. That was higher in one day than our average total for the entire month of May. As a result, there have been houses literally ripped from their foundation and swept down river. The quote that I keep hearing that pretty much sums it up is "horrible devastation like nothing I've ever seen."

Here are some links to get a small idea of what has happened here:

http://www.wsmv.com/video/23438467/index.html
http://www.wsmv.com/video/23435836/index.html

Right now, we are on a mandatory water conservation (and will likely be for many more days) b/c one of the two water treatment plants for Nashville went under water. At one point, we got down to only 15% in the reserves. Thankfully, we were back up to 50% in the reserve earlier today. Lots of folks haven't showered in days!!! We are brushing our teeth with bottled water.

Clean-up has started and telethons are happening. There is one on right now from Channel 4 broadcasting from what I understand on CNN & The Weather Channel. The Country Music Association just announced that 50% of the revenue from CMA Fest (what used to be called Fan Fair) will be given to flood relief. So, things are beginning to happen to help the victims rebuild & recover.

Basically, I am telling you all of this in the hopes that you will pass along this information to the vast collective network that is JPFolks. Nashville was an important building block in the formation of this online community and we need all of our fellow JPFolks help!!!

I'm asking people outside of Nashville to visit nashvilleredcross.org and pleading for them to make any size donation. The Red Cross alone is operating 18 shelters across town. You can text REDCROSS to 90999 and it will make a $10 donation that will show up on your cell phone bill.

Other links for flood relief include:

The Salvation Army:
http://www.uss.salvationarmy.org/uss/www_uss_nashville_ac.nsf/

The Community Foundation of Middle TN: http://www.cfmt.org/floodrelief/

Second Harvest Food Bank: http://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/

Those interested in helping animals affected can donate to a shelter in desperate need as the shelter itself was flooded. All animals were rescued but they need help too:
http://gsplady007.chipin.com/robyns-nest-animal-rescue or the Nashville Humane Association at http://www.nashvillehumane.org.

People in the Nashville region can volunteer at hon.org or just go to neighborhoods hardest hit (Bellevue, Bourdeaux, Antioch, & Pennington Bend come to mind). Take gloves, cardboard boxes, buckets, tools for pulling out carpet and drywall, fans, wet vacs, paper towels, bleach, dehumidifiers, generators, etc. and simply ask who needs help. There are plenty that are overwhelmed and could use extra hands and backs. Mayor
Karl Dean is asking businesses to make mass donations of generators, cleaning supplies, diapers and other supplies that can assist in recovery efforts.

***If you specifically want to help your music community, the Grammy foundation MusiCares is helping too. 100% of these donations will be committed to Nashville musicians and their families. Go to http://www.grammy.com/news/musicares-nashville-flood-relief-fund-efforts.

This city that I sooo love needs your help and needs help from JPFolks all over the globe! Please spread the word!!!

I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

Thanks so much,
Cheley Tackett

Cheley I'm in the process of putting together a benefit in Cincinnati for the flood victims.