Nashville Flood Family – 2

My family is in town this week and I am so happy to have them here. There is nothing like seeing your Mom and Dad after so long.
When Nashville was devastated by the flood in May, many families had to come together like never before to rebuild their lives. As the school year ended, many of the teenagers grew up fast in order to handle a situation they had never dealt with before. Young men and women became leaders in an effort to clean out their houses. The flood caused so much damage, that people worked day and night to save what little they had left.
The family below gave me a new perspective on the flood. After taking pictures of them, we sat down and they told me what happened after the flood. I was shocked. I heard stories of people being taken advantage of. Some had to foreclose on their house. Others couldn’t find help to clean up the trash left behind. Some had to lock down their generators, because people needed power and a generator was the only way to get it. Then, if you needed something from Walgreens (5 blocks away), it was going to be a 2 hour trip there and back, because there was so much traffic, so much damage and water everywhere. The list goes on, but there’s also the flip side. Many contractors came in with outrages prices, but there are some unsung heroes like Bill, in the second to last picture below, that went above and beyond to be there every day for a family.
As I walked into their house, I heard the family laughing and excited that they had a back-splash in their kitchen. It was just a little thing, but people like Bill have been there every day making a difference for many of these families. There are so many people who have helped out and my heart goes out to every one of them, because it takes an amazing person to give up their time and work to lend a hand for so long.
Some families have really pushed forward and are already moving back into their houses, but there are still many who don’t even know where to start. Please, remember that they still need our help and that we can still make a difference. Flood recovery didn’t stop a month after it hit. Some will be recovering the rest of their life.
Thank you to all the Photographers who have responded to my last post and are interested in getting involved. I am working to gather a list of more families that we can help out.