CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Montgomery County Government hosted a flood recovery resource fair Tuesday afternoon at Kirkwood High School for residents whose homes were damaged by the floods that hit the area in mid-February and early April. The event connected residents to nonprofits that can assist with temporary housing, cleanup and repair work, among other services. A free hot meal was also offered.
The county has partnered with the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region to assess local damage and identify where help is most needed, according to previous reports.
Kristen Jaggers with the United Way told Clarksville Now seeing the nonprofits come together to help is one of the most beautiful things about Clarksville. “The work that happens after a natural disaster happens at the local level in the recovery process,” Jaggers said. “That means neighbors and nonprofits coming together to help meet the needs of those who were impacted.
“Last night was really just a highlight of something that I’ve always known about Clarksville. When people are in need, we’ll come together, and we’ll help get those resources and contacts in the hands of those who need them most,” she said. “The most important thing to highlight is that our neighbors, who have been impacted not only by the flood that happened a couple of weeks ago, but even the flood that impacted folks in February, they are not alone. We are here, and we are here to serve them.”
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‘I’m just glad everybody got together to assist us’
Farmington resident Freddie Green, whose property was heavily damaged by the April flood, said he had bought around $400 worth of sandbags and placed them around his fence, until moving them closer to his house due to rising water levels.
He said around 6 a.m. on Sunday is when the stormwater reached over his fence in his backyard, and water was also making its way into his garage. Green said the water had been touching the bottom of his cars in the garage until he moved them. He began packing valuables and taking them to his truck.
“When I was putting the luggage in the truck, I had a deep freezer with food in it. It flipped over and hit me in the back,” Green said. “Once the deep freezer hit me in the back, it didn’t flip all the way over and the food didn’t fall out, so I grabbed it and stood it back up. Then I took some of the food and threw it in the back of the truck.”
Green said after he unloaded some of the food, the deep freezer was lighter, and that allowed him to pull it inside his home. After gathering additional belongings, Green realized the same deep freezer was flipped over again due to the amount of water in his home. “I didn’t have time to get anything else; I just had to get into the vehicle and get out of there before I got stuck,” he said.
Since the flooding, Green said he has taken all of the drywall out the front bathroom, the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom and their storage closest. As they continue the repair process, Green thanked those who put the flood recovery resource fair together.
“This was totally unexpected,” Green said. “YAIPAK has been amazing because they’ve had a lot of supplies that I could really use. I’m just glad everybody got together to assist us because we do really need it. To those who are struggling, just keep the faith and help your neighbors if you can.”
‘Let us know who you are’
County Mayor Wes Golden, along with other county officials, attended the resource fair and spent the night meeting with the residents affected. He told Clarksville Now they are doing everything they can to help.
County Commissioner Billy Frye, who represents District 19, said that as a county, they are focused on providing solutions to prevent situations like this in the future, and he mentioned that those conversations began after the floods that hit the area in mid-February.
“Having this here gives us an opportunity to have everybody come out and register. Let us know who you are; let us see your face and connect with these people,” Frye said. As for anybody in the affected area who wasn’t able to attend the resource fair on Monday, Frye said there is still help available. Residents are encouraged to register at www.cmcresponds.org.
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