MAYOR AND BIG KENNY DISTRIBUTE BOTTLED WATER TO FLOOD VICTIMS, NASHVILLE RESIDENTS CONSERVING WATER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2010
1 p.m.
EOC Media Desk
(615) 862-8540
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mayor Karl Dean and Country music star Kenneth “Big Kenny” Alphin will help distribute bottled water at Antioch Middle School tonight at 4:30 p.m. Big Kenny, who gained celebrity as a member of the duo Big & Rich, will join Mayor Dean and about 30 volunteers in distributing donated bottled water to flood victims and other Nashvillians who are trying to conserve water as part of Nashville’s ongoing flood recovery efforts.
Bottled water distribution sites have been set up at six locations around Davidson County and are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the Antioch location on Tuesday alone, over 8,000 cases of water were distributed. A complete list of bottled water distribution sites and other flood-related assistance information is available online at www.nashville.gov/flood.
TIDE LOADS OF HOPE OPENS THURSDAY
On Thursday, Tide will set up its Loads for Hope operation in the parking lot of the Dollar General Store at 2403 Lebanon Pike and Metro police officers will work to ensure traffic flows smoothly for flood victims.
Flood victims are invited to drop off two loads of clothing items per household (no towels, blankets, etc.). Tide staff will wash, dry and fold the clothing free of charge and have it ready for pickup at a designated time. Loads for Hope will be in operation between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday through next Wednesday.
Tide Loads for Hope will be bringing their own water source and removing the wastewater from the operation.
METRO WATER SERVICES UPDATE
Metro Water Services reservoirs continue to remain stable with reduced conservation guidelines- approval for essential loads of laundry and dishes will continue. Laundry mats and nurseries can also use water for necessary operating purposes. Car washing is not permitted at this time. We urge customers must remain vigilant about continued conservation and ask that water not be used in excess until the second water treatment plant is back in operation.
Metro Water Services has contracted with leading national engineering firms for additional assistance in the planning and executing of a recovery plan to bring K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plan, and other facilities, online in full compliance with all state and federal regulations.
The contracts are as follows: The K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant was awarded to Gresham Smith & Partners; the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant was awarded to Brown & Caldwell; and the Biosolids Facility and Central Wastewater Treatment Plant were awarded to Black & Veatch.
DISASTER DEBRIS CLEAN-UP
Public Works has added more of its own vehicles to debris collection efforts, bringing the total number of trucks conducting pickups to approximately 100. Trucks are running routes in all 12 of Metro's brush zones. The primary objective is removing disaster debris off local streets from the thousands of homes and neighborhoods affected, so that residents can continue their property clean-up and recovery efforts, including rebuilding their homes. All flood debris collected is being taken to temporary staging sites, where it will have to be sorted for permanent disposal at an appropriate landfill site later on.
With regard to roadway repairs, Public Works hopes to have Morrow Road in northwest Nashville open later today; work continues on Tucker Road in North Nashville. Bridges on these streets suffered extensive flood damage.
DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ASSISTS WITH SEARCH, CLEAN-UP EFFORTS
The Sheriff’s Office continues to rotate shifts with Metro Police officers at the bottled water distribution sites and Omohundro Water Treatment Plant. They have provided countless hours towards transporting MPD recruits to search zones and aiding in the search for missing persons.
As of Tuesday, May 11, inmate work crews have removed approximately 445 tons of debris.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO END TETANUS SHOTS AT FIVE DISASTER INFORMATION CENTERS, AVAILABLE AT MPHD CENTERS
Metro Public Health Department officials have discontinued offering tetanus shots at the five Disaster Information Centers after seeing a decline among residents seeking the vaccine. The Health Department will continue to offer free tetanus shots at its three Health Centers.
Metro Public Health Department Locations
Lentz Health Center (Fast Track Clinic)
Auditorium
311 23rd Avenue North
8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday -- Friday
East Health Center
1015 East Trinity Lane
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday
Woodbine Health Center
224 Oriel Avenue
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday
Davidson County residents with questions about tetanus shots should call the Health Department at 340-5667.
METRO CODES TO VISIT FLOOD-DAMAGED NEIGHBORHOODS
Metro Codes officials will continue going door-to-door in flood-damaged neighborhoods handing out flyers that detail the process homeowners must go through in order to apply for flood-damage repair permits and answering questions. Codes representatives are also stationed at the disaster information centers to assist citizens with the permitting process.
To verify the status of any licensed contractor or any business licensed by the Board of Licensing Contractors, visit http://verify.tn.gov or http://liscrch.state.tn.us.
DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS
Disaster Information Centers
Disaster Information Centers are open this week from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Disaster Centers will remain open until FEMA centers are up and operational on the ground. Centers provide food, water, personal hygiene supplies and information about city services and FEMA registration. Metro Public Health and Social Service case workers are on site. The public can come to the Centers to pick up limited quantities of cleaning supplies to assist with home restoration efforts.
Centers are not equipped for emergency medical needs. Residents who have security and health emergencies should call 9-1-1. Disaster Information Centers are in the following locations:
- Bellevue Community Center, 656 Colice Jeanne Rd. 37221
- East Community Center, 700 Woodland Street, 37206
- Hermitage Community Center, 3720 James Kay Lane, 37076
- Hadley Community Center, 1037 28th Avenue North, 37208
- Coleman Community Center, 384 Thompson Lane 37211
FEMA Disaster Recovery Center and Flood Relief Assistance
FEMA opened a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Nashville for those affected by severe storms and flooding last week. The DRC is located at 100 Oaks Mall, 719 Thompson Lane, near the Hollywood 27 theater. The center is open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., seven days a week until further notice.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties are urged to begin immediately applying for assistance by registering online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. When applying please have the following information available:
- Current telephone number
- Address at time of disaster and address where you are currently staying
- Your social security number, if available
- A general list of damages and losses
- If insured, the name of your insurance company and your policy number
- Bank account coding if you wish to speed up your assistance by using direct deposit
Individual assistance to homeowners and renters can include grants to pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other serious disaster related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs. Also, low interest loans are available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
FEMA inspectors are contacting Tennessee disaster applicants who sustained losses from the storms, tornadoes and flooding. It is important to emphasize that legitimate FEMA inspectors will not ask for personal information, such as a Social Security number, banking information or request payment at the time of the inspection. They will also wear an official FEMA photo ID badge.
Red Cross Disaster Assistance
Red Cross Assistance is available by calling toll-free 1-866- GET- INFO (1-866-438-4636). Two Red Cross shelters remain open: Lipscomb University with 140 residents and capacity for 200 and the Al Menah Shrine center with 67 residents and capacity for 300.
Other assistance being provided by the Red Cross includes:
- Fixed feeding sites at two shelters, Sawyer Brown Community Center, 1417 Murfreesboro Road, Riverwalk Community Pool at Riverwalk Road, as well as 13 mobile feeding routes. Residents in need should look for ARC Emergency Response Vehicles in their neighborhoods.
- “Clean up kits” are available at the five Disaster Information Centers in Davidson County. The kits contain the following items: bleach, buckets, storage containers, coolers, work gloves, hand sanitizer, hoses with nozzle, insect repellent, dust masks, rakes, rope, shovel, sun screen, duct tape, and trash bags.
- In Davidson County, to date the Red Cross has provided 32,280 meals, 34,213 snacks, 5468 clean up kits and 2881 comfort kits.
HANDS ON NASHVILLE VOLUNTEERS DONATE THOUSANDS OF HOURS
Over ten-thousand Hands On Nashville volunteers spent nearly 45,000 hours participating in flood recovery efforts between May 2nd and Tuesday, May 11th. The projected economic impact of Hands on Nashville volunteerism is $932,203.
METRO INTERACTIVE MAP PROVIDES DETAILED FLOOD INFORMATION
Aerial views, flood levels, road closures, damage locations, and other specific information about the 2010 Flood is now available on one online map. Users can turn layers on and off, zoom in and out, and view defined areas or the entire county. Visit the maps page at http://maps.nashville.gov/empublic_viewer/ or the Metro "2010 Flood" page at http://www.nashville.gov/flood/.
FLOOD EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHS
Flood recovery effort high-resolution photographs are available for download at www.metrophotos.nashville.gov/eventphotos/images/flood-recovery-efforts.html.