Going down the interstates today, the same interstates that were flooded, made the feeling so surreal. I personally wasn't affected by the flood but my city was. Seeing all the pictures from the devastation was one thing (btw I just googled "devastation" and Nashville was the 4th search) but actually being in the exact locations made my heart hurt. Those very spots are were people lost their lives and their cars. I look past the rails on the interstate and I can see how all of the businesses had to basically strip the buildings to see what they could salvage and it wasn't much that they could. The missionary portable that floated down 124 and crumbled under the "currents" still remains with bits and pieces. Someone on facebook laughed at that. I was so angry because this isn't a laughing matter. People are dying and you're laughing. People are losing their homes and you're laughing. Visitors are stranded in this city and you're laughing. This shit isn't funny.
Going down these same highways I notice that on the electric billboards they are asking for volunteers and ways that we can help, on the other side they are asking that we conserve water because one of our two facilitates is down.One copy service business offered free service for the flooded businesses.
My teacher lost her home and a few students and co-workers went over to her place to help her out. I'm all about helping and I really wish I could but I love to see the city come together to help. There are also bottled water drop offs for families without water, etc etc...
There is over 1 billion dollars in damage. In Opry Land Hotel alone 3,000 people have lost their jobs, that isn't including Opry Mills Mall, our most popular and most employed mall, and The Grand Ole Opry, one of our most popular attractions. 8,000 bridges need to be surveyed. 3,000 people are without electricity.
Ugghhhh. I seriously can't talk about this without crying. The economy is already crap and now this. Im just so empathetic to everyone right now and I pray that things get better and we find our way. Just going though this has made me realize that you can never really be prepared for life.
I have so much on my heart that I can't put into words right now but I just had to get that little bit off of my chest. I don't think my friends and family know what I'm going through. I cant even imagine being in New Orleans during Katrina, cant even imagine.
I still can believe that all of this happened. Tennessee has never seen anything like this and I don't think we ever thought we would.
I love you all.
You're right; we never thought anything like this would happen to us. Who has the ability to predict non-stop thunderstorms and floods? It's still sad and unbelievable that all of this happened so fast, but I know that things will get better. As I was driving down 24, I couldn't believe that was where people had drowned myself. I just couldn't imagine it.
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