I live in East Tennessee, in a city called Maryville. We are about an hour away from some of the towns that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. I am humbled to report that we, here in Maryville, were not harmed by all the rains and flooding that occurred in many other cities.
By way of a general overview - the hurricane brought torrential rains far inland and into the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Whole towns were washed away. Gone. Erased from the topography. People who still have homes have been stranded, unable to get in or out because roads were washed away or piled high with debris. This has been far worse than the media has been showing - the amount of geography affected was much larger than Hurricane Katrina, and some say the effects are 10 times worse than Katrina.
North Carolina has gotten more coverage than some of the little towns of Tennessee, so I thought I'd put a little update here for you straight off the TDOT webpage.
"Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) crews are working to assess damage, inspect all state-owned bridges, and repair connectivity in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit Tennessee on September 27, 2024. The counties with the most significant damage are Washington, Carter, Unicoi, Johnson, Greene, and Cocke, but this has a major impact across East Tennessee. Long-term closures will be in place across the region as many routes will require significant repairs and for others, a total rebuild."
https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/hurricane-helene-recovery.html
As I read story after story of people who have been stranded without food, water, or electricity for as long as 6 days or more, I want to fall to my knees under the weight of their suffering. I have wanted to physically help in some way, but I have no way to get into areas where help is needed, so I have asked people to pray and I've been actively looking for ways to donate that will be sure to get into the hands of people who need the help.
I was thrilled to learn that my church, Calvary Knoxville, has become the hub for all the Calvary Chapels for donations of resources and finances, and is already putting together teams of people to go in and help. This will be a long-term effort, probably over many months if not years.
If you want to pray, please pray for the people who have not yet been found. Pray for the children who may be without parents or are suffering with their families without a home, diapers, and necessities. Pray for anyone and everyone that God puts on your heart. Thank you for joining me in praying!
I learned that the power of prayer is beyond amazing when people literally prayed my husband back to life after I was told to call his family if they wanted to see him before he passed away. Andy's life and health are a testament to God's power and mercy. God will use this suffering to bring about good.