The rains came down and the floods came up

Over the weekend Middle Tennessee was overcome by terrible floods. Parts of Tennessee got almost 15 inches of rain in two days. My area was more fortunate. We only got about 10 inches in two days. My little farm was mostly untouched (unlike many, many people in Nashville). I lost three chicks to drowning on the first day. These pictures from the second day show why.

For reference, the blue board on the bottom is a 1"x6".

The area under the platform was the broody pen. Again, that is a 1x6 at the bottom of the white slats. This is where the babies were with their mamas.

Thankfully the water drained out fairly quickly, unlike many of those suffering in Nashville. My losses were minimal. There are many, many in the middle Tennessee area that have lost everything and most did not have flood insurance. In addition to the private loss, many of our local landmarks and treasures have been completely destroyed. The pictures from inside Opryland and the Grand Ol' Opry are just heartbreaking. Historic downtown is submerged. The Titan's football stadium had 4' of water covering the field. The list just goes on and on.

Usually this blog is light and fluffy. I figure no one out there really cares about my personal views on anything. Most of us are here because we love chickens. But just this once I hope you will pardon me for begging your thoughts and prayers for the people of Nashville. At least 18 lives were lost in Nashville alone and that number is rising as the waters recede. The great fear is that more people will be found in their homes. Many Nashvillians are like you and I. They wouldn't leave their homes because of their animals and were surprised when the waters continued to rise. Lift up your prayers for safety for the rescuers and support for those that lost everything. If you find it in your heart to help, the Red Cross is accepting donations to help those in need. At the moment they need everything.