Awfully Apathetic

Hidden waters: Tennessee struggles to recover from the flood that no one noticed

Due to heavy flooding in Nashville, Tenn., this week's Grand Ole Opryperformances have been moved from the Grand Ole Opry House to other Nashvillevenues.
Before the floods

I've heard so little about Tennessee's weekend flash flooding (which has killed at least 29 people across three states) that I must conclude we've witnessed too much in the last few weeks to process another national disaster.

What with the tornadoes in Mississippi, the car bomb attempt in New York, the disastrous oil leak off the Gulf of Mexico and the weeks of grounded flights thanks to Iceland's phonetically challenged volcano, we can't worry ourselves over flooding — it's simply too much.

(I guess a few people — just over 3,500 — have noticed. Or so indicates the Facebook group, "Pardon Us, But Did You Know Tennessee Is Drowning?)

No matter that the 13.5 inches of rain that hammered Tennessee this weekend (and had four counties declared Federal Disaster Areas) covered the Tennessee Titans' LP field and shut down the Grand Ole Opry, damaging much of the famous country music center's memorabilia. Or that the power likely won't be back on in downtown Nashville until Friday and the tourism-reliant city has suffered a major financial hit as a result.

Let's not punish Nashville for its residents' good attitude — the Opry didn't even break its 85-year-performance streak last night, though the show had to be moved.

Donate to the Red Cross here.

Video courtesy of ABC:

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taking it to the streets

Houston charity's gifts 66 wheelchair-accessible vans to needy families

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Houston Children’s Charity President and CEO Laura S. Ward, and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott in front of a gifted wheelchair accessible vans.

Photo provided by Houston Children's Charity

A fleet of wheelchair accessible vans were handed out Tuesday at the Post Oak Hotel

More than 60 underprivileged children will now have wheelchair-accessible vans thanks to a nearly $4 million giveaway by the Houston Children's Charity on Tuesday.

“Our mission is to provide life-altering programs and support to underserved children across Houston,” said Laura S. Ward, Houston Children’s Charity President and CEO, “We are honored to be able to empower these families facing daunting challenges by providing them the transportation necessary to not only attend medical and physical therapy appointments but go on road trips, the parks, or on other adventures with their entire family.”

The 66 vans (known as Chariots), allow users to easily enter and exit the vehicles, making transportation much easier. Many families struggle to afford such vans, which can cost up to $80,000. Often, families resort to crowdfunding to acquire one. The vans can vastly improve the quality of life for wheelchair users, thanks to increased travel options.

The gift is the largest the Houston Children's Charity has ever coordinated. To date, they have handed out 438 Chariots. The Fant Foundation, a Houston-based organization founded in 1994 to improve living conditions for disadvantaged people, provided 30 of the vehicles.

The Gift of Mobility event featured a who's who of Texas political powerhouses, including Mayor John Whitmire, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, whose husband, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, is a wheelchair user himself.

Houston Children's Charity is one of the city's largest non-profits, serving 3.5 million children since it was founded in 1996. Its programs include A Better Night’s Sleep, which provides new beds and mattresses to children whose families cannot afford them; Back2School, a partnership with the Rod Ryan Show that distributes school supplies; and Family Emergency Fund at Texas Children’s Cancer Center. In 2023, they spent $5.1 million on their various outreach programs and charity work for children in Houston.

Families in need of a van are placed on a waiting list by the Houston Children's Charity until they become available. The next giveaway in 2026 will be funded at HCC’s 28th Annual Gala on October 18. Tickets can be purchased here.

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