Lenae Williams, is a 45-year resident of Bellevue TN, a suburb of Nashville who watched as her house got completely submerged in water, along with many other homes in her area. Now she fears that when she returns home, all would be gone. Having no flood insurance, she dreads having to face the dire consequences. With no job to help her start all over, Lenae is totally devastated.

Amanda Johnstone left her Nashville home together with her family as the storm worsened Sunday. When she came back the next day, almost everything they had was destroyed, including the expensive furniture that they spent years paying off. Clothes, toys, appliances, and two of their cars were not spared, either. Needless to say, coming home that day was a painful experience for the Johnstone family.

Wolfred Higby was also among the thousands whose properties were either damaged or destroyed. He, too, had to bear the aftermaths of the storm; the flooding ruined their home, especially the baby room that he and his wife had designed and built for their little daughter.

Many others have suffered the same fate. You can see cleanup crews in homes, buildings, and streets. Insurance adjusters are kept busy helping the insured settle their claims. People are contacting their insurance agencies and taking pictures to show the damage to their property. They are also busy carrying their stuff out of the house to dry, cleaning their surroundings, and comforting each other. It will be days before all the hard work will be over.

This is truly one of those difficult times we wish we never had to go through. But while it is very hard for us to accept the disaster that took place a few days ago, what’s going to happen to people like Lisa who had no flood insurance? How will she be able to fix her home without any money to pay for it? Private and government agencies are doing their best to provide assistance, but with damage that could easily cost over a billion dollars, there is no guarantee that every person who needs help will be given sufficient assistance.

The extent of the flood damage in Tennessee is unbearable. People today are holding on to each other, and helping families, friends, neighbors, and even strangers in rebuilding their homes, and rebuilding their lives.

Seventeen lives have been claimed thus far just in the state of Tennessee alone, including nine in the city of Nashville. Some of the dead were discovered in their vehicles and others were found in their yards or inside their homes. One twenty-one year old young man was killed when he attempted to walk in flood water but was swept away by the strong current. There are still two young males missing after they attempted to tube down a fast moving creek. One of their friends with them did manage to get himself out of the water and to dry land, but the search goes on for his friends.

Downtown Nashville took a very harsh beating. The Grand Ole Opry House was flooded and remains so today as does the Country Music Hall of Fame. It is estimated that the Opryland Hotel suffered nearly $80 million in damage and will be closed for up to a half a year – the damage was just that bad.

Over a foot of rain was dumped on the area during the weekend which sent flood waters rising rapidly, barely giving people time to escape to higher ground. Hundreds of residents were rescued by various forms of watercraft including jet skis, row boats, speed boats and canoes.  Those boat rescues diminished by Tuesday May 4th, but the search goes on for drowning victims who may have become trapped inside their homes or somewhere on their property.

The full extent of the area’s infrastructure damage is not yet known, but officials are aware of many roadways and bridges that were washed away from flood water. FEMA is on the scene assessing the damage and expects to have a good idea of just how much damage was done during this storm that crushed all previous records for being the worst. Barack Obama has declared the affected areas in Tennessee as national disaster areas, making it possible for homeowners and businesses to take advantage of low cost loans and home repair assistance so that they can recover from the devastation and loss suffered.

Efforts to begin cleaning up the hardest hit of flooding areas will likely begin towards the end of the week, provided the water tables have begun receding. In communities such as Memphis and Franklin, arial photos of entire shopping centers underwater have made national news coverage. Flooding has been extremely costly to property owners throughout the U.S. this year as earlier in the year Rhode Island, New Jersey and Massachusetts all faced their own flooding disasters. This time, the storms were particularly hard for Southern States such as Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee where flooding and tornadoes have ravaged communites througout the region.

The flooding was so severe in Tennessee that public schools and government agenices have been forced to close, with no timetable fore reopening determined yet. The floods have tragically caused nineteen fatalities to date and forced thousands of property owners to flee their homes. Vacationers at the Opryland hotel have been forced to move to temporary housing as flooding overtook the popular tourist destination, which is located about ten miles to the south of Nashville.

It is almost certain that the FEMA will assist victims of the flooding disaster in their recovery efforts. The National Guard and Red Cross have already been deployed throughout the region to assist property owners who have been displaced from their homes due to the flooding. This will be a developing story that will continue to touch the hearts of victims and volunteers alike who work hand in hand to recover.

If you have flood insurance coverage, you need to get in touch with your insurance company first. Taking photos of the damage areas will be needed when filing insurance claims.

If your basement has been affected by flood, here are some guidelines on how to clean it up.

Things You Need for the Cleanup
1. Disinfectant solutions
2. Plenty of clean and dry cloths
3. Plastic bags/ Trash bags
4. A pair of gloves
5. Goggles
6. Protective clothing

Steps to Take for Flooding Cleanup

• Once you have all your cleaning materials ready, make sure you shut off electrical systems and remove electrical wires for safety measures. Never set foot on wet areas with active electricity otherwise you run the risk of getting electrocuted.
• Next, remove all the fixtures from the basement such as sofa, tables, and chairs, as well as electrical appliances. Put them somewhere they can dry up completely. It is advised that mattresses, stuffed toys, and pillows be thrown away when soaked wet during a flood because these could be breeding grounds for bacteria, fungi, and other harmful elements that cannot be removed even when washing them.
• Pump water out of the basement. This will take some time to finish especially if the room is full of water. Drilling holes on the wall will help if the water level is high.
• Flooring needs to be completely dried out otherwise mildew and molds will grow on it, especially for carpets and vinyl floors. When carpets have been soaked in water for at least 24 hours, it is advisable to throw them away.