 May 2, 2010: The call came at 11:30 Saturday night from the Salvation Army officer: “Can you send staff to the Nashville Emergency Operations Center first thing tomorrow morning?” Chuck and Sue Duby, long-term Hope Force staff members, had seen nearly a dozen inches of rain at their house in just one day as the region’s worst storms in a generation wreaked havoc, forcing rivers to flood stage and beyond. They were ready and waiting to assist.
Six am found the Dubys serving coffee and breakfast to a staff of emergency management officials deluged with calls for assistance. Nashville’s mayor monitored the activity as police, 911 phone banks, fire fighters and volunteer agency officials watched five large screens on the wall showing the disastrous effects of the weather on the region. “It was like a war room, with activity, technology, images and activity at peak rates,” Sue reported. “People were calling 911 who were stranded in their homes with no way out. I could hear an operator talking with a mother holding her three-month old baby. The water was up to her chest and she literally had nowhere to go.”
Nashville’s emergency response system was working with every resource available yet it seemed impossible to keep up with the flood of emergencies throughout the region. As of Sunday afternoon, 45,000 people were without power. Hundreds of water rescues had been carried out and there were many more people still trapped in homes. According to Sue, “More rain is coming, not only here but all the way to southern Mississippi. It is going to get much worse before it gets better. We are being told to sit tight right now – in some places emergency responders can’t even get in.”
Hope Force Reservists in the area are on high alert, ready to bring assistance as soon as the situation mode rates enough to allow non-essential travel on the region’s roadways. Many of the roads and highways are closed to all traffic. Reservists are standing at the ready to help Salvation Army canteen trucks provide food to flood-affected areas once the roads are clear.
According to Sue, “We’ll also be mobilizing our volunteers to begin cleaning damaged homes as soon as the waters recede. The term we use is “mucking out” houses, which unfortunately refers to what a home looks like after water has washed mud and debris throughout the dwelling. It is an awful experience for the inhabitants.”
Disasters change lives forever – rebuilding homes and a sense of normalcy takes time. Confusion, despair and frustration often result. Hope Force is committed to compassionate action to ease emotional suffering, meet physical needs, and offer the ministry of presence: being there to listen, comfort and walk alongside those in crisis.
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