epic flooding in nashville

i think most of you, my dear blog readers, know that i grew up in and around nashville, tn for 27 years of my life.  it is just recently that i have become a resident of asheville, nc.  i am proud to be a nashville native.

many of you may or may not know that nashville and surrounding areas were inundated with anywhere from 13-24 inches of rain within a 24-36 hour period.  no area can handle this much rain.  there are many rivers around the area, the largest being the cumberland river which runs through downtown nashville.  this much rain in such a short time caused serious flash flooding that has claimed homes, businesses, nashville landmarks including the opryland hotel, country music hall of fame, the grand ole opry house, and, of course, the worst loss is of life.  10 lives in nashville have been lost, 17 total in tennessee, and up to 29 total within 3 states.  people left their homes with the shirts on their backs and that is all they have left.

unfortunately with the oil spill in the gulf and the car bomb in nyc, nashville seems to have been forgotten.  lost in the shuffle.  i am saddened by the lack of national news coverage.  people are hurting and the city is suffering and they need help.

the following video is a 1 minute snippet of news on msnbc.com.  this doesn't even begin to describe the devastation that is in and around nashville.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

nashville isn't the only area devasted by the rain and the storms. it is spread over the southeast. nashville and the surrounding areas have been hit the worst and is obviously near and dear to my heart.  if you would like to donate, please visit the middle tennessee red cross website and donate whatever you can.  if you can do nothing else, just pray for safety and healing for nashville and the southeast.