Flash Flooding Event Devastates Communities in Middle Tennessee: How You Can Help
Saturday, August 21, 2021
I awoke to a text message from my mother-in-law,
alerting that there was flash flooding in Houston County, roughly fifteen
minutes down the road from us. She wanted to see how we were doing, because
living in middle Tennessee, in the valleys and hollers, it could be raining on
one side of the road and not the other. They had already endured a flash
flooding event that changed their lives in 2013, making her extra vigilant
during storms, understandably so.
I told her we had honestly just woken up, it was
Saturday morning and the one day I turn off all my alarms. The National Weather
Service of Tennessee had issued a flash flood advisory for all Middle Tennessee
the night before into Saturday evening. I proceeded to head out on our deck and
check on our pond that has overflowed and flooded our yard several times during
similar rain events. Sure enough, it was up, the chicken yard was a wading
pool, and the sound of our sump pump kicking on and off repeatedly, meant it
was working in overdrive. Nothing out of the ordinary for our property, nothing
alarming.
Then, I checked Facebook, the quickest way to get
updates on anything happening locally. My timeline was lit up with images from
Erin, a small town in Houston County, Tennessee. Water was covering the main
road in town and several friends of ours were reporting water rising quickly as
the creek swelled over its banks.
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| Gas Station in Erin, Tennessee |
Waverly is in Humphreys County, Tennessee. It’s the
epitome of small-town rural living. The history is rich, the people are kind
and welcoming, and it was one of the first places my husband took me to after
we moved to Middle Tennessee. I remember being especially excited because Waverly
had many things we didn’t have in our small town; a one screen movie theater
and a Walmart (yes, I was excited to see a Walmart!) just to name a couple. Not
to mention a host of mom-and-pop shops. And just down the road from Waverly –
Hurricane Mills. Home to Loretta Lynn and her dude ranch, it’s one of my
favorite places to visit with our family, with camping, fishing, and tons of
events – it’s a beautiful place to spend the day or a weekend. We’d often stop
in Waverly for lunch or essentials when we’d head to the ranch. Our oldest
daughter and her friends bought their prom dresses in Waverly. So many happy
memories come to mind just thinking of the town and people who call it home.
With every refresh of my newsfeed, the stories
became more and more heartbreaking. Families separated in the raging flood
waters, children missing, and the rain was still falling. My heart was breaking
for these families. Reports stated that the flood waters had risen so fast, no
one had time to react. It wasn’t a situation where the water was slowly rising,
no, this water came in with a vengeance, showing no mercy to anything in its
path. Waverly now looked like a major hurricane had come through, surreal.
22 people lost their lives in Waverly that Saturday,
just over a week ago. More than 500 families are displaced. There are no words
for the impact on so many.
The immediate reaction of heartbreak turned quickly
into one of action. What could be done to help?
Our community, along with neighboring communities,
immediately began setting up donation sites for food, clothing, and hygiene items.
This past week, donations poured into Waverly from all over, filling most area
churches and staging spaces to capacity. An urgent concern: housing for those
families that are displaced, many without transportation or even access to
their bank accounts because their identification and paperwork have been
destroyed or lost in the flood waters.
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| 50 cases of water - the start of donations at mom's church last week. |
At this time, donation sites are asking that if you are able,
hold off on bringing supplies (unless specifically requested) if possible, wait a week or so. Many families are unable to take household donations, not because they aren’t
wanted or needed, but they just have no where to keep the items, as many are in
temporary lodging at area hotels or shelters. Instead, monetary donations would
be the best bet to reach families in immediate need. First Federal Bank in
Waverly has accounts set up to accept donations, checks can be mailed to First
Federal Bank, 122 W. Main Street, Waverly, TN 37185 or sent through Venmo:
Waverly Relief Fund.
There is also a need for foster families for many of
the displaced pets as well as donations to the Waverly Animal Shelter for pet
supplies, as they are also assisting sheltering animals of families in temporary shelters. To contact them, call 931-296-7319 or visit their Facebook page here
for updates.
I wanted to share this with y’all because like so
many disasters, the response to help fades as time goes on, and media sources
report less and less. I don’t want that to happen to Waverly. I understand
seeing the images on replay can be overwhelming, but I hope this post aids in
some way to help those families that desperately need support. They
will need it, whatever support we can offer, for a long time.
As I am writing this post, Hurricane Ida has just
passed through Middle Tennessee, headed Northeast, after causing destruction along
the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and other areas. Our prayers and thoughts are with
so many, leaving us wishing we could do more…
Hang in there y’all, we’re with you!
xxoo
Crystal
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