Hip2Give: Help Tennessee Flood Victims!
*Did you know that at least 29 people have been killed in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky by either floodwaters or tornadoes in the last few days?
*Did you know that water submerged parts of the Grand Ole Opry House, considered by many to be the heart of country music, and the nearby Opryland Hotel could be closed for up to six months?
*Did you know Governor Bredesen declared 52 of Tennessee’s 95 counties disaster areas after finishing an aerial tour from Nashville to western Tennessee during which he saw flooding so extensive that treetops looked like islands?
(Thanks to MSNBC and the Associated Press for the information and picture above)
Wow! I knew about the recent flooding in Tennessee; however, I had NO idea of the extent of the devastation. Please read an email from a Hip2Save reader who shares her thoughts on this disaster…
This isn’t a deal, but a request, no a plea. I don’t know if you know about the devastation in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, but we are in dire straits right now and there has been very little national media coverage about it. Haiti was worldwide news. Katrina was worldwide news, but no one is noticing that Nashville is going down. Obama has just declared Nashville a disaster area. Our downtown is partially underwater and out of power until Friday at the soonest. Our biggest Hotel/Convention center (that employs 3000+ people) is underwater and possibly down until CHRISTMAS! Shelters are at capacity and there are people unaccounted for.
If couponers ever come together to support their fellow man, Nashville would appreciate the help now. Cash donations can be made to the Red Cross, by calling or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to disaster relief.
If you’re local, CoC disaster relief could use help preparing boxes of food for flood victims. For more info call 833-0395. Donations of cleaning supplies, toiletries and clothing are being asked for and I KNOW we have those things in droves!
Facebook is a great place to find info to help out.
If you would like to help out, here are some things that you can do…
*Visit www.nashvilleredcross.org and click DONATE to make an online gift.
*Mail a check to the Nashville Area Red Cross: 2201 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.
*Call (615) 250-4300 to make a donation by phone.
*Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation on your mobile phone.
*Visit Hands on Nashville to donate and/or view current volunteer needs.
*Donate food/money to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (The most needed list includes canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned meats, canned/dried beans, rice, macaroni & cheese/pasta, and peanut butter).
*Make a donation via The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
*Make a donation to Brown Dog Foundation, Inc (this program offers up to $300 to stabilize and/or treat pets for injuries sustained as a result of the crisis).
*If you have been personally affected by the flood, check out Flood Help in Nashville for sources of free help and links to other resources.
(Thanks, IPreferPublix for sharing some donation tips and information about the disaster!)
Just think, I have OVER 20,000 email subscribers. If every one of those subscribers donates just $1, that’s over $20,000! We CAN make a difference!
I had heard about the flooding, but wasn’t aware of the gravity of it until one of my friends got a call Monday night. Her mom died after her car was swept away by flood waters. I’m still in shock. Her mom was a pastor’s wife and a community helper. My prayers are with her family and anyone else affected. I pray there our no more fatalities.
I lift all those suffering from this flood up in prayer. Any circumstance like this needs prayer warriors on top of it.
Lord, please blanket these people with your love and the safety of your hands. Lead them to a safe place, guide them as they rebuild there homes, finances, families, etc. And allow the waters to subside so this amazing area of our country can be quickly rebuilt. Please speak to those who do not understand your power, your glory, your guidance.
In your amazing son’s name I pray
Amen
and Amen.
Amen
I am from Nashville and my family still lives there. They are ok but there are so many around that have lost everything. Thank you so much for sending out the call to help. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by the flood.
I’m in Knoxville, so we didn’t experience this, but have friends there. It is just heartbreaking to see the destruction and hear of lives lost! I just wanted to thank you Collin for bringing this to light! For some reason, the media hasn’t seemed to notice!
Thank you so much for posting this information! I live right outside of Nashville and work in Brentwood. I’ve got co-workers who lost their homes and some haven’t been able to see their home yet. We greatly appreciate all prayers and support each of you can offer.
If you search for Nashville Flood Relief t-shirts on Facebook you will find that you can purchase a t-shirt for $20, $17 of which goes right back into the community. Very cute brown shirt with blue logo. Still trying to find out if you can get a tax deductible receipt for the $17.
Thank you for posting this information. It has been hard to live in Nashville, seeing the devastation first hand, and at the same time watching the media practically ignore it. This article helped to put it into perspective for me!
https://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366
I am helping to put together a Red Cross drive for my company’s communities that were affected. Donations would be greatly appreciated from those who can manage.
Please help those of us in Nashville. My family is fine but many of my students have lost everything and are without flood insurance because their home were not on flood plains. Insurance will not cover anything. FEMA aid will be available to some and Obama declared Nashville a disaster. The damage is more widespread than New Orleans during hurricane Katrina. Here are 38 devastating photos so you all can see the magnitude of the problem!
https://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/flooding_in_tennessee.html
My cousin lives here and her house is totally destroyed. They weren’t even given an evacuation notice. They just noticed their neignbors leaving.
My aunt and her family live in a little town called Olive Hill, KY, and it was also hit HARD. Her home is ruined, along with everything in it. Luckily she is able to stay with her son who’s home didin’t get damaged. However they have lost almost everything, including their vehicles. From my understanding FEMA nor anyone else has been there to help because of the flooding in the bigger cities such as Nashville. And I’m sure there are other small towns just like hers that are in the same trouble. I just wish there was more I could do, but we would have no place to stay if we went down there. So I’m not trying to take away from the tragedy in Nashville, but I did want to inform people that there are many other towns that are in the same boat! (no pun intended)
I live in Tennessee about 3 hrs from Nashville and you’re right there has not been much media coverage at all. Memphis also was flooded pretty bad and I haven’t seen much on the news about them either. The only reason I knew how bad it was is because I have a friend that lives close to Nashville that has told me all about it. Thank you so much for this post!
I live in Tennessee about 3 hrs from Nashville and you’re right there has not been much media coverage at all. Memphis also was flooded pretty bad and I haven’t seen much on the news about them either. The only reason I knew how bad it was is because I have a friend that lives close to Nashville that has told me all about it. Thank you so much for this post!
I sent a message to Collin hoping that she would post that we are in Tennesee and we experienced the need to evacuate with pets and not sure what to do! We have made it out with a dry house and our beloved pets ok but we would like to open our house to anyone in Tennessee who needs to find a loving place for your pets…contact us at 615-414-6406 or thriftyniftypeeps@gmail.com or charles.cannon364@gmail.com
TEXTED MY DONATION. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH ALL THOSE SUFFERING.
I live in the heart of Nashville, and all of my friends and family have been so fortunate. We have all gathered together all of our extra toiletry items and canned goods and are giving everything we can to shelters and volunteer groups. There have been so many volunteers that almost all organized efforts are at capacity at this point. There will soon be more opportunities to assist in clean-up as the water recedes. Help your neighbor! Cleanup in your towns at your churches and schools. It is so important in this time that we each do what we can to recover from this as soon as possible.
Hello everyone! I live an hour south of Nashville and am SOOOO lucky to have escaped the worst of the storm that came through last weekend. I just want to THANK everyone who reaches out to care for my fellow Tennesseans. I LOVE Nashville and TN, and I also am upset with the lack of coverage, but thanks to all you fantastic Hip2Save readers and know we can make a difference. :O)
My husband has family about an hour from Nashville. They were not hit by this, I do understand the devestation to the Opryland Hotel. My family has visited it every year for Christmas. There really are so very many people that rely on that hotel for their income. Knowing what certain areas inside the hotel look(ed) like really drives home the amount of damage done by the flooding to those areas-especially after seeing photos of the flooding inside the hotel.
Thanks for posting. I live in Knoxville, TN. We found out yesterday that my Mother N Law lost her aunt and uncle to the flood. They both had limited mobility and the water rose to there roof line and they could not leave the house and drowned. No warning. It is just absolutely horrible. We will be sending what we can to help. Please pray for my husband’s family, though. Just so heart-breaking…
It would be great if those of us who have those stockpiles built up could donate some of their extra items to these victims. I know all of us can’t afford to give but those of us who can it would be a blessing to help them out.Im sure the foodbanks could use our help. Maybe Collin could do a Video on helping out in a crisis like this for instance. She has a big heart and I wouldn’t be the least bit suprised at all. May God bless those who lost their houses and vehicles and lives in these disasters.
I live in Kentucky and my daughter has been out of school for a few days for the flooding here. There is alot of people here that has lost their homes. It is just unreal seeing all of the water everywhere.
I live in Crossville, only an hour and a half away from Nashville. I still hadnt realized it was so bad. Ill def. have to check on volunteering.
I live in Crossville too.
Thank you Collin for posting this. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. It is unbelievable that the national news is ignoring us, but we will get through it.
My entire family is in Nashville and I am in Clarksville. We have been very, very fortunate that we all came through this without too much damage. Unfortunately my Mom, Dad and brother all work for Gaylord/Opryland Hotel and they have heard nothing about when they will be able to get back to work, or if they will even be getting paychecks. It is terrible.
Not only did the floodwaters take away peoples homes and lives, but for those cleaning up, many of them don’t even have jobs to go back to because their places of employment are still underwater.
Good things are coming out of the flood here though- when waters were rising, good samaritans were coming out of the woodworks with their boats and just driving up, putting the boats in the water and tirelessly going back and forth rescuing people from their flooded homes.
The amount of rain that fell in two short days sent the Cumberland River over its banks for miles, flooding cities and towns all along the river. Here in Clarksville, the river isn’t even supposed to crest until SATURDAY! And we’re already nearing 20 feet over flood zone. In Nashville, several streets were underwater along Nashville’s business district, the Titans stadium was under several feet of water, Gaylord Hotel/Convention Center, Opry Mills Mall and the Grand Ole Opry all were underwater up to 10 feet.
They are estimating a Billion dollars in damage. Billion, with a “B”.
Thank you everyone for your help in supporting Nashville and surrounding areas!!
Brandy
http:www.ipreferpublix.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for posting this. I can’t describe how mad I am that this devestation is being ignored by the national media. Katrina’s coverage was unbelievable & Nashville’s is NOTHING. I live in Cookeville, but my brother’s family were “stuck” in their house until yesterday b/c all roads were closed. My dh’s family is also in Nashville, but thankfully not affected. But the news coverage is unbelievable. The picture you posted is the tip of the ice berg. Seeing pictures of the Opryland hotel was heatbreaking (we look at the Christmas decorations every year). But people don’t realize how many people are now unemployed, without clothes, food, medicine, water, etc.
But I will say it’s amazing how OUR VOLUNTEER STATE is pulling together. They could be looting & shooting, but instead they are pulling together & giving support. I’m proud to be a Tennessean.
Thanks again Collin!
Going home to Nashville for Mother’s Day. Thank you, Collin, for posting info on disaster relief contacts. Will definitely accumulate stuff from my couponing friends here in Chattanooga to take with me to help. My parents own a flower shop in Nashville and I’m going home to help deliver flowers. something tells me there won’t be much delivering this year, so I’ll help with disaster relief instead. Thanks again!
Thank you for this post!!! I live about 20 miles from Nashville and everything is bad!! Opryland Hotel is under water and so is Downtown Nashville. Rebuild will take years!!! Parts of my neighborhood got 3 feet on water in their homes. I am a luck one and didnt get any damage. I have decided to help the neighborhood after I work 11 hours a day to help with the clean up. It is unbelieveable!!!
17 members of my family lived in Millington, Tn. Including my father, and grandparents. They all lost everything they have ever owned in a matter of minutes. They were evacuated when the rain waters got to be about a foot deep. But then a levey broke sending about 4 feet of water into the town in minutes. Luckily, everyone survived. But we went in the next day to Millington to help my fam and it is horrible and the smell is stomach turning. Sewage overflowed into the town and houses. My dad’s house has about 4 feet of mud all over the floors and walls. The pressure from the levey was so bad, it literally broke his cabintes and furniture in two, his doors and windows are busted and the water was so high, his fridge was floating in the house. I am doing what I can for my family and the other ppl in Millington. I live in Bartlett which is only about 10 mins from Millington. But all of Memphis and Tipton county is basically for lack of a better work “gone”. I have seen pics from Nashville and other areas and just can not beleive the damage. My heart goes out to all who were hit by this disaster and to the families who have lost loved ones. The President declared Tenn a disaster area so help is on the way.
Colin,
You are so wonderful…carol smock is my friend and is the creator of the brown dog foundation…thank you again for posting about Tennessee…my family was blessed to not have any damage, but so many around us are devestated and it is not getting a lot of press coverage on the national front. I thank you for this posting!
Jen-mommy to two boys and a new baby girl!
I live 2 hours away from Nashville, and it’s so sad! My brother and his family were evacuated from their house early one morning at 4:30! For days the only ones that knew about Nashville being flooded were us locals. A lot of people were actually e-mailing and calling national media and telling them about what had happened and pretty much telling them off for not getting any coverage on it sooner, how sad. Right now Nashville News reports that piranhas are swimming around the Opry Mills mall – right beside OpryLand Hotel! Nashville and surrounding areas need prayer!
I am currently stationed at the naval base in millington tn. we were blessed enough to not lose one person just most of our base. we couponers have banned together to help supply as many things as possible, so I want to thankyou for your site, without it we wouldn’t have been able to help as many as we have. Our town is slowly recovering but it won’t be back to “normal” for along time. Even with barely any press coverage it warmed my heart to know that all of you guys care, thankyou!
Collin, Thanks so much for posting this. I’m a Nashville native (now in Iowa) and am so sad to see the devastation of so many special places. Thankfully my parents and other family who are still in Nashville have been ok, but I know it will be a very long road to recovery for much of the city. I really appreciate how you are encouraging your fellow frugal friends to be generous in their giving and helping others. Thanks for all you do!
I am glad to see people trying to get the message out. I live in Memphis and it was horrible last weekend. Believe me it is not just Nashville and mid Tn. West Tn was also hit hard. The whole town of Dyersburg is flooded and Millington. I was right there to donate and do whatever for Haiti and Katrina, but now our neighbors across TN/MS, etc need our help. Thanks for the info. I hope it gets more publicity, because so many lost everything.
I can’t believe that the media has ignored us. where is Geraldo or Greta? are we not important to them?
Check Hannity.com. Home page has a link how the NATION can help. Thanks Hannity!
I live in Nashville and have lots of friends and family members that have flood damage. Most of them do not have flood insurance because they were not in a flood zone. I have been trying to help them myself but I don’t have enough money for all of them. One thing I tried to do is find help from these companies asking for donations. I can’t find ONE outside of fema! Even fema will probably find a way to not help in the end. When you google for help or go to sites there are places to donate all in your face but nowhere to actually GET HELP! Once again corporate heads will have the last laugh off the generosity of the masses. Just know if you are giving money that I do not know ANYONE that has actually been helped by companies asking for your money. Friends, neighbors and churches are supplying the help. I suggest that you hand your money directly to a person that needs it or send it to a church in the flooded area, NOT a company.