News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Two members of the Double Springs Church of Christ arrived in Humphreys County Sunday assisting in flood relief efforts.
The Middle Tennessee flash flood event on Saturday resulted in 22 deaths and some 50 missing people. Youth Minister Dylan Wood said Cookeville received lots of help after the March tornado, so the church wanted to return the favor.
“You think of the destruction of March the 3rd for us,” Wood said. “It looks just like it, and honestly, it may be worse. Cars are just lining the streets, and basically, what used to be roads were rivers. Houses and trailers and campers, they are just lining the side of the road. It is literally mass destruction.”
Wood and Heather Whitson plan to spend the day in Waverly gauging needs and establishing contacts. Wood said then, he will return to Cookeville to make a plan on how to distribute what is needed.
“Our focus is really going to be personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies I think from what we have seen so far,” Wood said. “These houses, what is left of them, they got a lot of clean up work to do, and their water supply is contaminated, so I know we are going to try to help them get some water up here.”
Wood said they arrived around 2:45 p.m. Sunday and have been working with the state health department at Three Rivers Hospital. Wood said the plan is to later visit Waverly Church of Christ, which is operating as a community shelter.
“I told the minister last night on the phone, I said, ‘Dude, I have been in your shoes. I know you are overwhelmed. Let us take some of that burden off of you,'” Wood said. “Not saying we know more than them, but we have been in their shoes. We know exactly what they need, and we just wanted to share the people of Cookeville and what God helped us to do. We just want to be able to share that to them.”
Wood said Double Springs Church of Christ has already began collecting supplies. Wood said hygiene and cleaning item are being accepted at the front awning of the church. Wood said the supplies will be brought back to Humphreys County sometime next week.
