Tennessee Baptists answer the call after flooding leaves trail of destruction throughout Humphreys County
By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
WAVERLY — Walking through certain parts of the flood-ravaged city of Waverly feels almost like navigating through a war zone. Houses, cars, fences and furniture are mangled and mashed. Random pieces of brick and wood are strewn along the streets and sidewalks.
But in the heart of the choas stands First Baptist Church, Waverly, where help and hope are being distributed.
The church campus features a perpetual buzz of activity in every direction, with people (of all ages) rushing about, moving from room to room on the lower level of the main building. Boxes and crates are being transferred from Point A to Point B. There is a constant flow of cars, coming and going, from the parking lot. Food, clothes and other items are being collected — and given away — simultaneously.
The scene is intense and energetic. And yet, it is also organized and effective, with smiling faces penetrating the heavy emotions that hang in the atmosphere.
Welcome to “Ground Zero” — the cornerstone of the recovery efforts for the Waverly community after floodwaters tore through parts of Humphreys County, Dickson County and surrounding areas.
More than 17 inches of rain fell over the course of only a few hours on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 21, and the subsequent flooding resulted in at least 20 reported deaths and nearly inestimable damage to homes and businesses. The towns of Waverly and McEwen were among the hardest hit.
As part of the recovery efforts, FBC Waverly is serving as the flagship distribution center — and temporary shelter — for families and individuals who were impacted by the flood. FBC has been able to fulfill those roles thanks to a village of volunteers who have arrived from both the local area and long distances.
In addition to Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief units, there has been an outpouring of volunteers from FBC. Others from the community, who are not even associated with the church, have also flocked to the FBC campus to “report for duty.”
Donations from all across the state, and well beyond, have been pouring into FBC.
“It’s been non-stop since Saturday,” said FBC pastor Scott Brown, referring to the early morning hours of Aug. 21. “Endless phone calls, endless offers to help, and an endless number of people jumping in and going to work. … No one had to be prompted; no one had to be asked. It just took off.”
With many schools in the area being closed due to the flooding, entire families were able to come to FBC to volunteer their services. The age range among the volunteers went from elementary school to elderly – and all of them were needed.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, visited the Waverly area on Monday and Tuesday with his work gloves in hand.
“People are coming from all over to help,” said Greg Ernsberger, director of Missions for JST. “I am amazed at the number of both donations and volunteers. We are very grateful for the generosity that has been demonstrated this week. It’s the body of Christ showing the love of God to a devastated community.”
Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has set up an incident command post at Trace Creek Baptist Church in New Johnsonville, and Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is asking for prayers “for the people (in the) affected communities who have lost so much.”
Operating at full capacity
Recovery efforts in the affected areas started just a few hours after the flooding. By late Saturday afternoon, FBC Waverly — which is built on a slight incline and did not have any damage from the storm — had become one of the main hubs in the recuperation process.
“The needs are going to be here for months,” said Brown. “It’s just so much. And even with all the things that we are doing, it’s just a drop in the bucket. But I am convinced that, with enough drops, you can fill the bucket.”
The entire FBC campus — virtually every room on the property — is being used for the relief effort.
The fellowship hall has been turned into a cafeteria, with food being prepared and served. The back of the room is being used for tetanus vaccinations and other needs. Numerous cots and blow-up mattresses line the walls of the room, where individuals have slept the previous night. (More than two dozen displaced people have slept at the church in the aftermath of the storm).
Downstairs, the church offices have been transformed into miniature storehouses. One room is jammed full of bottled water; another is packed with diapers and baby supplies; still another had canned foods; another was for towels and pillows.
And, from Brown’s perspective, all of these items — right down to the last can of beans — represent a chance to share God’s love.
“Our mission as a church is to know God and to make Him known,” said Brown. “And that’s where we are right now. This is our chance.”
Brown is aware that the overload of activity on the campus might create problems in the future. But he said he wasn’t allowing those potential issues to affect what is taking place.
“We’re burning at full capacity, and the wear and tear on our building is pretty ridiculous,” he said. “The AC unit is running non-stop with the doors open. The electricity, the flooring are (taking a beating). And I wouldn’t be surprised if, about a month from now, our parking lot caves in from all the weight and traffic that is coming and going. So, as the steward of this property that God has given us, those are things that are going through my mind.
“But you know what? Those are tomorrow’s problems,” he said. “God will give new mercies when that time comes. But until then, we are going to happily wear this place out. We are going to just leverage it for what needs to happen now. If the building falls to the ground in the process, let it be. Because I would rather this place fall apart to the glory of God then for it to stay a pristine, beautiful chapel where no one ever comes to know Jesus.”
It happened so fast
Bill Lowe, director of disaster relief for JST Baptist Association and a member of Trace Creek Baptist Church, New Johnsonville, was alerted about the oncoming flood early in the morning on Aug. 21.
Lowe said he was unaware that anything major was going on when he received a phone call from his friend, Wayne Woods.
“Wayne called me on Saturday morning, and he asked me if I was going to get a (DR) team together,” said Lowe. “And I thought he was talking about North Carolina because at that point, I hadn’t even turned on the TV. So, I told him — ‘Wayne, it’s too early to get the team. They haven’t even sent a call out yet.’ And he said, ‘No, I am talking about what’s happening right now in McEwen.’ And I said: Give me 15 minutes.”
Soon, the two men drove to Waverly. As they passed FBC, Waverly, they saw a fire truck in the church’s parking lot. Lowe, who was carrying chain saw equipment, stopped in the parking lot to ask if there were any trees in the road that needed to be cleared.
“As I am talking to the fireman, Wayne starts hollering at me, ‘We’ve got to go!’ And I looked to the east, and here comes the wave of water, headed toward where we were standing,” Lowe said.
The two men then jumped in Lowe’s truck and started going door-to-door in the surrounding houses to warn people. “We just started waking people up and telling them to get out. … We saw people in their pajamas (getting in their cars and seeking higher ground). We went to the places where we thought the people could be in the most danger. Still, we never dreamed it would be this bad.”
Damage and destruction
Although FBC Waverly did not receive any structural damage, many of the homes near the church, including some that were less than 100 yards from the parking lot, experienced great damage when the flood waters moved down the street in front of the church.
By Tuesday afternoon, three days after the flood, many of the homeowners in the area had emptied the bottom floors of their houses, moving all of the damaged contents — furniture, rugs, toys, paintings, pictures, etc. — out to the road to be picked up and taken to the dump.
Some of the most devastated areas were located about a block away from the church, where several homes had been lifted from their foundations and spun in a different direction. Multiple cars had been swept up in the flood and had smashed into houses.
Barbara Dillon, who lives across the street from the church and attends FBC, said there was no indication that the flood was coming. “We woke up on Saturday morning, and it was raining, which was not unusual,” she said. “But my daughter called me and said, ‘Mom, it’s bad. It’s really bad.’ So, we got up and got dressed.”
Dillon said she was upstairs as the flood water came rushing down the street. The bottom level of their home took on about four feet of water. The family was able to move some furniture and other belongings upstairs before the flood waters came in, but the items that remained on the bottom floor were destroyed. The family’s basement was also flooded, destroying a furnace that they had recently purchased, she said.
The Tennessee Baptist DR teams arrived within hours and began helping the family with the recovery process. Dillon said the DR volunteers did more than just help restore the home.
“I just appreciate what they did so much,” she said. “One group would come in to work, and they would want to have prayer with me, and I would feel better. And then the next group would come, and they would have prayer with me, and I’d feel even better. And I said, boy, I could go on like this every day — with people praying with me every three or four hours.”
Despite the damage to her house, Dillon said the flood enabled her to focus on the things that matter most: “I lost a few pieces (of furniture) that I really liked,” she said. “But you know what? I found out that I don’t really care. Let it all go.”
Brown said he has heard many remarkable stories of hope and encouragement throughout these difficult days. Still, he knows there are some even harder days ahead.
“Before too long, there will be something else that happens somewhere else, and the attention will shift there,” Brown said. “But that’s when it kind of hits you. Right now, everyone is busy and focused on that. But when everyone slows down, that’s when the real trauma sets in. And that’s when we will be needed even more.” B&R
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MORE ON THE FLOOD IN WAVERLY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS
PASTORING THE PASTOR: Danny Springfield, left, who pastors in Orlando, Fla., flew to Waverly on Monday, Aug. 23, to provide support for Scott Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church, Waverly.
Springfield has been a mentor to Brown for many years, and he officiated Brown’s wedding. “This is MY pastor,” Brown said. Springfield is currently doing Pastor Leading Training in Orlando.
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HOW TO HELP: To give and assist in the flood response, visit www.tndisasterrelief.org and click on the “Give Now” button or send gifts to TBMB, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068 and mark them for “Tennessee Flood Response.”