Tennessee Residents Try To Recover After the Storm
Tennessee residents continued to struggle as the waters receded from last weeks historical flooding. Now that the storm threat is over, people who fled during the weekend have finally returned to their homes. You can see a mix of emotions; some people are crying, others are hurting, and there are those who are smiling and hugging family and neighbors. But for the most part, these people are just glad that it’s all over and they’re back home, or whatever is left of it.
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.
