Recovery efforts continue after late-August floods
Baptist and Reflector
Barbara Dillon, who attends FBC Waverly and lives across the street from the church, stands beside a pile of her belongings that were damaged by the floods. — Photo by Lonnie Wilkey
FRANKLIN — Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is pleased with the amount of progress that has been made in Waverly, but said there is still a long way to go.
Jones, in fact, sent a call-out last week, asking for DR volunteers to return to Waverly for various assignments related to the next phase of the recovery process.
Waverly was among the towns that received devastating amounts of damage from sudden flooding that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 21. More than 17 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, resulting in more than 20 reported deaths and immeasurable destruction.
DR teams began arriving in Waverly just hours after the flooding, and many volunteers remained in the area for extended periods of time.
Jones said that same level of commitment is needed now.
“I continue to thank God for all of the volunteers and the work that they do to serve those who have been affected by disaster,” said Jones. “I want to encourage them to continue serving.The remodel work in Waverly continues to move forward. We are working with homeowners to try to get some of them back in their homes as winter starts to take hold.”
Wes Jones
Jones noted that there are currently needs for electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, carpenters and drywallers. He emphasized that these needs are immediate.
“We need more teams in Waverly as soon as possible,” he said. “If you can come for a day, a weekend, or a week, please contact us to make arrangements.”
Those who are interested in assisting in Waverly can make arrangements to participate by sending information — including the teams they have available and the dates of their availability — to any of the following e-mails: drelief@tnbaptist.org, eholmes@tnbaptist.org, and wjones@tnbaptist.org.
Jones said the opportunity to serve in Waverly is not limited to trained DR volunteers.
“It is open to all TBC churches who would like to participate,” he said.
Jones is asking director of missions and AMS’s from across the state to help spread the word to churches, inviting them to participate “through the talented people they have in their churches,” he said. B&R
