Nashville is Flooded. Where are you CNN?

Nashville flooded. How do I know? I live on a hill in the middle of it. A portable classroom floated down I24. People died stuck on that interstate in their vehicles. The Weather Channel is calling this a thousand year flood. This is the worst non-hurricane related disaster in the history of the United States. And yet, we're not getting national attention. Here is some of the footage just now surfacing on the national stage:



This blog post sums up most everyone's attitude about the lack of attention:
http://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366

I'm from here. Born and raised Tennessean. I have never been prouder to be from this state than now. I can't tell you how much footage I watched of good ole boys backing their trucks and trailers into the lake that used to be Bellevue to go rescue neighbors. Most of those people donating their boats and time had lost or damaged property themselves. In some footage there was a line of people waiting to launch their boats. Then yesterday when I got home from work? There was more footage of the guys using their boats. This time they were ferrying people BACK into the flood waters to get essentials (clothing, medicine, pets). Again giving so selflessly. (Reference http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=12425747).

One lady interviewed had been helping offload rescue boats in Bellevue all day Sunday, May 2nd. When a reporter asked her where she lived and how her house was she said, "Oh, I live in Hendersonville. I was here visiting my boyfriend. We just came down here to take pictures but the firefighters didn't know the area. Street signs are under water. So my boyfriend went on the boats and I have been here all day helping people get off them. As for my house, it'll be there or not when I get to it."

A baby was born in the middle of the storm. This story is definitely worth the two minutes.
http://www.wsmv.com/video/23453827/index.html


The Grand Ole Opry, Opry Mills Mall, and the beautiful Opryland Hotel are all under 10 feet of water. They are telling employees they hope to be open for Christmas. They have also said all employees will remain on the payroll during the rebuild.

I have always liked Keith Olbermann. He has a very thought provoking comment here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36927001#36927001

The last comment in this video by Dennis Ferrier is, "These people are leaning on their wonderful neighbors who have clothed them, fed them, and helped them try to salvage something from their lives. And when the state said they didn't have time to deal with Hwy 249? They found equipment and started to fix it themselves." Only in Tennessee...
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2010/05/04/dnt.tn.highway.houses.wsmv.html


Channel 4 is having a Telethon tomorrow. http://www.countrymusictattletale.com/2010/05/05/working-4-you-flood-relief-with-vince-gill-friends

There have been two, yes just two, reports of looting. One on Sunday at the Farmer's Market. They simply closed and locked the doors and that was that. The other today in North Nashville. Two police officers now check ID at the entrance to that subdivision. There's no call for the national guard to come restore and keep order. The national guard isn't needed here for security purposes. We have a concealed carry law. The gentleman who sharpied his front door with the message, "Looters will be shot. I have a gun." is all the security they need.

The national guard has been called in to help with rescue and recovery and we're very glad they're here. The coast guard got here Monday from Cincinnati. When they were asked what they thought about the civilians helping with their personal watercraft in the search and rescue efforts the commander of the unit said, "We're very glad they're helping. We don't know the area and we didn't bring enough boats."

Clear Channel Communications broadcast all over the country simultaneously yesterday. They raised $170,000 from right here in middle Tennessee. The governor in his briefing today said many of the local/state/federal agencies have not had to give out as much aid as they thought they would because organizations and individuals are stepping in to provide resources and time. From those rednecks in bass boats zooming across Briley Parkway and Bellevue and Bordeaux to rescue anyone and everyone who needed it, THANK YOU. To the little girls in Bellevue who gave my friend helping her in-laws who lost EVERYTHING fresh fruit and a pb&j THANK YOU. To everyone who's helped in any way THANK YOU.

And to my 5 year old daughter with such a tender heart. This morning when we were watching the news and you turned to me and said, "Mommy, when do we get to go help?" I had to swallow back tears to say, "Soon, honey, as soon as we know what's needed." I have never been prouder to be a Tennessean.

We will survive. We will recover. Why? The blogger from section303 is right: