So if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that my city received the equivalent of 3 months rainfall in a 48 hour period. Catastrophic.  Downtown Nashville is totally destroyed.  All the counties in Middle Tennessee have been declared disaster areas.  The damage is more than the heart of the city, but incredibly widespread and fantastically devastating.  Not only were many lives and homes lost, but the impact on our economy will be long lasting and could cripple the state for decades if we don’t get investors in as well as much needed aid.

Pressing on every citizen of the area right now is a massive water shortage.  I can’t stress how important it is to conserve.  Take a Navy shower! I just did and now I feel virtuous as well as clean!  There’s some good tips here for reducing water shortage.  I also replaced the hand soap in my bathrooms with hand sanitizer until we have water again.  And got baby wipes for quick, instant “shower” when a Navy shower is too much.  I currently have 15 gallons of bottled water in the kitchen for drinking and cooking with.  Purchased water, not hoarded tap water, people!  We need to share and conserve together.  Who knows when the second water treatment plant will come back online, so TN folk, quit washing your cars and get with the program.  Maybe you can learn some good conservation skills for the post-disaster future and make us a greener state for real.

I feel cheerfully optimistic right now.  Although who knows if the feeling will last until morning.  I have already cried a lot over this flood.  I have cried for people who have died.  And those who have lost their homes.  And jobs.  And for the ugliness the flood waters left behind (stinky mud everywhere).  Driving around the city looking at the impact was strangely cathartic.  Like I was glad that so many people seemed to go about their regular business. It seemed wrong in the face of the flood at first, but then I don’t want this to undo any more Tennesseans, and I applaud our ability to keep on going.

Still I currently have too many thoughts on the whole situation to detail here right now.  I am proud of my state that there hasn’t been looting or drama.  I am proud of how many people reached out to help others.  Still I am shocked and wounded by every piece of news of further damage that comes out.