Nashville Flood: Not-So-Thirsty Thursday

Got the day job out of the way for the time being, so here’s a rundown of some general Nashville flood information and links for you today:

• Reports are that the city’s water reserves have increased in the last day, but conservation measures are still necessary to guarantee that everyone has access to clean water.
• From Metro Schools:
  

  Students who have been displaced from their homes and currently reside elsewhere are allowed to remain in their current school regardless of where they reside now, even if it is outside of Davidson County.  Parents who need to report a change of address should complete the Student Residency Questionnaire (at the child’s school).

  ·      Students who need special transportation to remain at the current school, should contact the MNPS Customer Service Center (615-259-4636) to discuss transportation options.

  ·      Students who lost their standard school attire should not be expected to meet the district’s guidelines immediately upon returning to school. Families needing assistance with standard school attire can submit their needs to the district. If the appropriate sizes are available, clothing will be sent to the child at school.

  ·      Students who have been displaced from their homes will now qualify for free/reduced price meals (FRM).   Families will be assisted with the FRM application upon receipt of the completed Student Residency Questionnaire.

  ·      Students displaced from their homes who now reside elsewhere (either temporarily or permanently) have two choices of schools: the school in which they are now enrolled, or the school in the zone where they are now living.  Emergency hardship transfers will not be required to attend either of these two schools.

  ·      If parents request a school different from the two mentioned above, they will need to seek an emergency hardship transfer.

  ·      Some schools may receive students displaced from other counties and these students should be permitted to enroll, even if they lack proof of address or other documentation normally required for school enrollment.

  ·      Absences for students who are absent because of the floods will be marked as excused.  Students should return to school as quickly as possible.

  ·      Students who lost textbooks in the flood will not be held responsible for payment of those books, but lost books should be reported to the school for proper documentation. Students will be provided copies of relevant sections of the textbooks to guarantee they have access to the necessary information.

The flood affects people and their pets. Since we’re definitely animal people here at the East Nashville Blog, here are a few pet-related notes:

Have you seen this dog?

• A neighbor over in the Maxwell Avenue area has lost his dog, a beagle named Kenny. “She is about four years old, white with tan and black markings, and has on a black collar.  She does not have on her rabies tag. She is very sweet and gentle.  Give him a call at 349-0888 if you’ve seen her. Please contact Trey Palmer at 349-0888 if you may have seen her.”
• For anyone else in Nashville who’s lost a pet, here’s a checklist from the Nashville Humane Association:
  

  • Fill out a lost report with Nashville Humane Association — check daily for found reports. Please provide:Appearance: breed, coat type, ears, tail, age, weight, sex, color, etc.
  • Identification: tags, microchip, etc.Location: where your pet lives, when and where your pet was last seen• Contact Metro Animal Care & Control — (615) 862-7928 – 5125 Harding Pl, Nashville, TN -– Because of the differences in how owners describe colors and breeds the owner is then required to come down daily to reduce the potential for miscommunication or misidentification

  • Fill out a lost report with Nashville PetFinders, LostAPet.org and Wilson County Pet Finders websites — check found reports daily online — finders have different ideas of colors and breeds

  • Contact all veterinary clinics within the area to see if the pet was brought in by a good Samaritan — check back daily

  • Contact the closest evening Pet Emergency clinic to see if a good Samaritan brought the pet in for medical care — check back daily

  • Place a lost posting on your neighborhood list serve — check daily for found posts

  • Walk/drive through your neighborhood, familiar walking routes, check with neighbors

  • Post lost report with photo as permitted in stores and other sites
  • Contact the streets division to see if any pets were picked up due to fatal injury

• And here is a full list of Tennessee animal shelters.
• Animal Ark Animal Hospital is offering to house pets displaced by the flood: “If you or somone you know has been displaced by the recent flooding and have pets that need shelter, please contact Animal Ark Animal Hospital at 615-778-0880.  We will be taking pets owned by displaced families.  Space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis.”
• Nashville Paw magazine is starting up a Flood Relief Donation Drive:
  

  We are now taking donations for people & pets displaced by the recent floods.

  Every day, we are receiving calls from people who have had to evacuate their homes with their animal companions; some are in shelters, some in motels, others are staying with friends and family. In most cases, their homes are all but destroyed. It may take weeks and months to rebuild their lives. And they need our help.

  You can help ease their burden by dropping off much needed supplies in our donation bins placed at the following locations:

  Happy ReTales in Brentwood

  See Spot Eat in Berry Hill

  Wags & Whiskers in East Nashville

  The following supplies are needed:

  pet beds, blankets, food, treats, toys, collars, leashes, water bowls, litter, pet shampoo, brushes, pick-up bags, pet carriers, gift cards & canned goods, as well as any comfort baskets (toiletries, snacks, water) you’d like to send to the families

  Thank you for your help… the flood victims appreciate your efforts, and we all appreciate your compassion!

  **If you or a friend has been displaced by the floods with pets and NEED supplies, please email us at nashvillepawmag@gmail.com with “HELP” in the subject line. Please include your name, phone number, number of pets and type of pets, as well as what area of town you are in and what supplies you are in need of.

And a few other things:

• If you haven’t already seen enough, check out the Tennessean’s photo gallery of Nashville flood coverage.
• Yes, it’s okay to chuckle when you learn that the local food scene’s organized effort on May 17th to help with flood relief is called Eat Out For Nashville.
• Pith in the Wind asks, “Why did it take so frickin’ long for the rest of the country to notice we’re in trouble?” (Cliff’s notes: there wasn’t a narrative that could hook 24-hour viewers, but we all got together and forced them to pay attention. So, go Nashville!) Some other folks have also noticed the dearth of nationally-distributed info on our soaked city.
• Looks like Anderson Cooper is here in town today to tell the rest of the world about what’s going on here. Now if we could just get Oprah to come back home we’d be in business!

Other posts that may interest you:

1. Mayor Karl Dean to Dedicate Martha O’Bryan Center Program at Stratford High School Today
2. East Nashville Art Classes by Saschi and Squee
3. Nashville Flood Relief Art Show Next Weekend