This week has been so surreal! If you haven't heard, Tennessee was hit with what historians are calling a 1,000 year flood over the weekend. There is devastation everywhere. Thankfully, all we lost was a computer to a lightning strike. The computer was on a surge protector, but the lightning came through the cable modem to the computer. I am hoping that my pictures and documents can be saved from the hard drive, but the loss of a computer is nothing compared to what others around us are facing.

The national media was very slow to take notice of the floods, but I am glad they are finally getting the images out there. If you have seen the pictures, you know the damage is unbelievable. It's Katrina-like in some ways: deaths, extensive flooding (some homes were ripped off their foundations by the swift-moving water, thousands of others were completely submerged), over a thousand boat rescues in Nashville alone, people in shelters, etc... The damages are estimated to be around the billion dollar mark, and so many people need help. Tennesseans are known as volunteers and for helping each other, but national media attention will bring much needed relief monies from around the country as well. Since many of the flooded homes were not in known flood plains, thousands of home-owners are facing the damage without flood insurance.

Roads, businesses, and services are slowing reopening, and of course, people are trying to return to normal activities. Sadly, it will be a while before many people can do that. Please keep the flood victims in your prayers!

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